11  ^O 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


From    the    Estate 

of 

Urie  McCleary 


"X 


^-;.'*!ri^'^'^!8't»  -, 


THE 


GREEK    PAINTERS'  ART 


BY 


IRENE   WEIR 


Formerly   Student  of  the  School  of  Fine  Arts,  Yale  University 

Formerly  Director  of  the  Norwich  Art  School,  Connecticut 

Director  of  Art  Instruction,  Bkookline,  Massachusetts 


GINN  &  COMPANY 

BOSTON  .  NEW  YORK  .  CHICAGO  •  LOXOOX 


Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall 


Copyright,  1905 
By   IRENE  WEIR 


ALL    rights    reserved 


95-3 


Cljc  Sltljenarum  pices 

GINN  &  COMPANY-CAM- 
BRIDGE •  MASSACHUSETTS 


ARl 

0 


TO    THE 
MEMORY    OF   MY    FATHER 

WALTER  WEIR,  M.A. 
THIS    BOOK    IS  INSCRIBED 


in 


PREFACE 

Every  student  of  art,  history,  and  literature  knows 
something  about  Greek  architecture  and  Greek  sculpture. 
Such  knowledge  is  as  essential  to  an  intelligent  understand- 
ing of  modern  art,  modern  history,  and  modern  literature 
as  are  foundation  stones  to  a  building.  Architecture  and 
sculpture  are,  however,  but  two  of  the  three  divisions  of 
the  visual  arts.  Without  painting  the  triple  unit  is  not 
complete.  And  it  is  a  lamentable  fact  that  of  Greek  paint- 
ing so  little  remains  that  to  the  average  student  there  is 
not  and  never  was  in  Greece  a  field  of  painting  compa- 
rable to  the  sister  arts.  Modern  discoveries  on  Greek  soil, 
however,  are  continually  throwing  new  light  upon  the 
painters'  art.  They  reveal  glimpses  of  that  world  of  color 
to  which  ancient  Greek  writers  refer  in  terms  of  high 
praise.  Traces  of  color  have  been  found  on  the  inside 
walls  of  the  palaces  at  Tiryns,  Mykenae,  Phylakopi,  and 
Knossos,  on  metopes,  triglyphs,  pediments,  and  other  archi- 
tectural members  of  various  temples.  These  remains  prove 
that  color  was  called  to  the  aid  of  architecture  from  Homeric 
times  down  to  the  perfect  period  of  its  development 
that  culminated  in  the  Parthenon.  The  exceeding  pure- 
ness  of  atmosphere  in  Greece,  the  light  tone  of  soil  on 
roadway  and  upturned  field,  together  with  the  warm,  creamy 
color  of  marble  which  glistens  dazzlingly  in   the  brilliant 


vi  PREFACE 

sunshine,  —  these  combine  to  produce  an  effect  of  intense 
brightness  which,  without  some  modifying  agency,  would 
have  been  singularly  trying.  Color  undoubtedly  brought 
these  varied  elements  into  harmony. 

As  for  its  use  in  enhancing  the  beauty  of  sculpture, 
we  know  —  from  what  Pliny  tells  us  in  quoting  Praxite- 
les' words,  who  when  asked  which  of  his  marble  statues 
pleased  him  most  said,  "  Those  which  the  hand  of  Nikias 
has  touched"  —  that  the  painting  of  marble  statues  was, 
in  all  probability,  the  usual  accompaniment  of  the  sculp- 
tors' work.  Recent  excavations  on  the  Akropolis  at  Athens, 
which  have  resulted  in  the  finding  of  daintily  colored  archaic 
statues,  prove  without  question  that  the  use  of  color  was 
a  common  practice  before  the  Persian  wars,  and  was  doubt- 
less the  custom  later.  To  those  who  are  familiar  only  with 
the  cold,  coarse  white  of  the  plaster  cast,  the  thought  of 
color  on  the  statue  seems  at  first  incomprehensible.  It 
is  only  when  we  stand  before  the  warmly  tinted  marbles 
of  Greece,  and  see  for  ourselves  the  additional  charm 
resulting  from  the  use  of  color,  that  we  are  quite  recon- 
ciled to  the  idea. 

Of  the  large  wall  paintings  by  Polygnotos  at  Delphi  and 
of  those  in  the  Painted  Gallery  on  the  Akropolis  at  Athens, 
which  Pausanias  describes  so  fully,  no  trace  now  remains. 
Greek  painting  —  the  painting  of  pictures  in  color  on 
walls  or  flat  surfaces  of  stone  or  wood  —  is  practically  a 
lost  art.  Only  the  Greek  portrait  paintings  recently  found 
at  Fayum  in  Egypt,  the  wall  paintings  in  Etruscan  tombs, 
and  Greek  and  Roman  mural  decorations  in  southern 
Italy  remain  to  give  us  even  the  semblance  of  an  idea 
as   to  the   character   of  the  achievements   of  Polygnotos, 


PREFACE  VU 

Apollodoros,  Apelles,  and  their  contemporaries,  to  which 
Greek  writers  —  poets,  historians,  and  scholars  —  make  fre- 
quent reference. 

But  there  is  one  most  interesting  department  of  the 
painters'  art  that  has  come  down  undimmed  to  the  present 
time.  Greek  vases  show  us  not  only  the  potters'  and 
painters'  unique  and  original  craftsmanship,  but  inciden- 
tally they  tell  us  many  important  facts  relating  to  the  tra- 
ditions, customs,  daily  occupations,  and  life  of  the  people 
of  Greece.  If  all  else  were  lost,  these  alone  would  be  a 
rich  inheritance. 

To  the  student  of  the  classics  we  can  scarcely  imagine 
a  greater  help  or  pleasure  than  to  see  pictures  of  events 
and  scenes  in  which  famous  heroes  of  Homeric  days  are 
concerned.  Thus  the  race  of  gods  is  no  longer  a  myth  ; 
it  becomes  a  living  reality,  as  it  was  to  Homer  himself. 
Athena  presides  over  a  doubtful  contest,  not  merely  be- 
cause Homer  tells  us  so,  but  because  we  see  her  standing 
divinely  unmoved,  with  helmet  and  shield  and  spear,  beside 
her  heroes.  Achilles,  Odysseus,  Patroklos  are  no  longer 
vague,  shadowy  forms ;  they  are  living,  human  beings, 
fighting  against  odds  and  sharing  the  pleasure  or  displeas- 
ure of  the  gods.  Do  we  read  of  dancing,  feasting,  musical 
contests  .?  Here  we  see  the  slender-limbed  maidens  sway- 
ing to  the  rhythmic  music  of  fiute  and  lyre.  Is  our  hero 
slain  in  battle }  We  see  him  tenderly  borne  from  the  field 
by  the  winged  angels  of  Death.  Of  the  powerful  impres- 
sion made  by  the  visible  picture  painted  in  those  golden 
days  of  idyllic  feeling,  there  is  no  question,  nor  of  the  fact 
that  such  impressions  leave  an  indelible  and  lasting  influ- 
ence upon  the  mind. 


viii  PREFACE 

The  purpose  of  this  book,  therefore,  is  to  bring  the 
reader  in  touch  with  the  Greek  painter  of  okl  in  a  simple 
and  direct  manner,  —  the  Introduction  serving  to  lead  him 
to  the  enchanted  land.  Once  there,  he  may  explore  at  will 
the  brief  history  of  painting,  the  subject  of  vase  painting, 
the  testimony  of  recent  writers  on  color  as  applied  to  archi- 
tecture and  sculpture,  and  the  remains  of  portrait  painting, 
mosaic,  and  mural  painting.  The  aim  is  not  in  any  measure 
to  exhaust  the  subject,  but  to  group  together  the  most  reli- 
able matter  obtainable  from  ancient  and  modern  writings 
and  from  recent  reports  by  archaeologists,  and  to  record  the 
results  of  personal  study  from  books,  from  collections  in 
foreign  and  native  museums,  and  from  actual  finds  in  Greece 
itself,  in  all  that  relates  to  color  as  used  by  the  Greek 
painter  of  old.  This  has  been  done  not  only  with  the  idea 
of  compiling  a  useful  summary  of  important  facts,  but  to 
awaken  the  interest  and  kindle  the  imagination  toward  a 
keener  appreciation  of  the  painters'  art  wherever  found. 

The  Greek  spelling  of  Greek  words  has  been  followed 
by  preference  except  in  such  cases  as  Mykense,  Piraeus, 
Corinth,  ^geus,  and  the  like,  where  it  has  been  thought 
best  to  retain  the  more  familiar  form. 

The  author  wishes  to  extend  thanks  to  the  curators  and 
librarians  of  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  Boston,  for  their 
many  acts  of  kindness ;  to  the  ofificers  of  the  Fogg  Museum, 
Cambridge,  the  Institute  of  Technology,  the  Athenaeum 
and  the  Boston  Public  Library,  and  to  Mr.  Wilfred  G.  G. 
Cole  of  Cambridge,  for  the  use  of  books,  photographs,  and 
plates ;  and  to  the  members  of  the  Edftorial  Department 
of  Ginn  &  Company  for  their  unfailing  courtesy. 

Cambridge,  March,  1905 


CONTl^NTS 

PAfiKS 

Introduction  —  A  Rkcknt  Visit  to  Greece   .     .     .     .1-102 

Leaving  Rome  —  Brindisi  —  Santa  Quaranta  —  Corfu  —  Patras 

—  Pyrgos — Myth  of  Arethusa  —  Olympia — Patras  to  Corinth 

—  Delphi  —  Old  Corinth  —  Akro-Corinth  —  Nauplia  —  Tiryns  — 
Argos  —  Mykenas  —  Epidauros  —  Athens  —  The  Akropolis  — 
Akropolis  Museum  —  Archaeological  Museum  —  Athens — ^gina 

—  Lykabettos  —  Areopagos  —  Ilissos  —  Kolonos  —  Kephisos 

—  Pentelikon  —  Ilymettos  —  Marathon  —  Dipylon  Ciate  —  Ke- 
phisos —  Myth  of  Demeter  and  Persephone  —  Pass  of  Daphne  — 
Mysteries  of  Eleusis  —  Eleusis. 

Chapter  I  —  A  Brief  History  of  Greek  Paintinc      103-137 

Two  sources  of  knowledge:  literature  and  extant  works  —  Origin 
of  painting — Kimon  of  Kleoni — Polygnotos,  his  works  in  the 
Portico  on  the  Akropolis  at  Athens  and  at  Delphi  —  Agatharchos 

—  Apollodoros  —  Zeuxis  —  Parrhasios  —  Timanthes  —  Eupompos 

—  Pausias  —  Aristeides  —  Nikomachos  —  Euphranor  —  Nikias  — 
Apelles  —  Protogenes  —  Antiphilos  —  Theon  of  Samos — ^.tion 

—  Helena — Timarete,  daughter  of  Mikon  —  Eirene  —  Kalypso 

—  Aristarte  —  laia  —  Olympias  —  Nikophanes  —  Peiraikos  — 
Studios  —  Fabius  Pictor  —  Ludius. 

Chapter  II — Vase   PaintixCx    i\    Greece  and    Southern 

Itaia- 138-181 

The  making  and  painting  of  the  vase  the  work  of  craftsmen 

—  Common  use  of  the  vase  —  Styles  and  subjects  of  decoration 

—  The  gods  :  Zeus,  Hera,  Athena,  Herakles,  Apollo  —  Life  of 
the  peo])le,  their  occupations,  training  in  athletic  sports  —  The 
deeds  of  heroes  :  Achilles,  Odysseus  —  Prehistoric  ware  from 
Hissarlik  (Troy),  Rhodes,  and  southern  Italy  —  Pre-llomeric  ware 
from  Mykenae,  later  known  as  the  Geometric,  and  that  found  at 
Athens  known  as  tlie  Dipylon — Style  and  subjects  of  decoration 

ix 


X  CONTENTS 

PAGES 

of  Dipylon  —  Oriental  influences  shown  at  Rhodes,  Melos,  and 
Cyprus  —  Corinthian  ware  —  Naukratis  —  Athenian  ware  —  Early 
Attic  ware — Black-figured  ware,  early  and  later  styles  —  Treat- 
ment of  human  figure  —  Severe  type  of  red-figured  ware  —  Epic- 
tetos  and  Euphronos  —  Fine  style  —  Orpheus  vase  —  Ware  from 
Nola  and  Campania  —  Variety  of  style  and  workmanship  in 
Athenian  ware  —  Athenian  lekythoi  —  Apulian  ware  —  Campa- 
nian  ware  —  Importance  of  Greek  vases  to  the  archaeologist. 

Chapter   III — Color  as  applied   to  Architecture  and 

Sculpture      182-245 

Use  of  color  upon  Greek  temples  —  ^gina,  Athens,  Sicily, 
southern  Italy,  Passtum  —  Color  upon  Doric  and  Ionic  orders  — 
Olympic  temples  and  sculpture  —  Temple  of  Zeus,  Olympia  — 
Temple  of  Theseus,  Athens  —  Athenian  love  of  color  in  dress 
—  Its  natural  application  to  architecture  —  Color  upon  the  Par- 
thenon—  The  Propylaia — Color  applied  to  sarcophagi  —  Alex- 
ander sarcophagus  from  Sidon  —  Colors  employed — Realism  — 
Expression  —  Lion  hunt  —  Archer,  nude  runner,  Alexander  — 
Brilliant  effect — Color  as  applied  to  sculpture  of  early  images 
and  reliefs  —  Colors  used  —  Archaic  votive  statues  found  on 
Akropolis  in  excavations  of  1885 — Color  on  these  statues  — 
Their  significance  —  Style  of  costume — Relation  to  vase  paint- 
ing— -Herakles  and  the  Monster  Typhon  —  Pediment  groups  with 
lion  and  bull — Hermes  —  Statue  of  Zeus,  Olympia — Statue  of 
female  figure  from  Delos  —  Figurines,  number  and  style,  from 
Tanagra  and  elsewhere  —  Process  of  making  and  decorating. 

Chaffer    IV  —  Greco-Egyptian    Portraits    and    Greco- 
Roman  Mosaics 246-265 

Greco-Egyptian  portraits  found  at  Fayum  —  Fayum  largely  in- 
habited by  Greeks  —  Custom  of  embalming  —  Painted  image  or 
plastic  head  —  Painted  panel  inserted  —  Variety  in  excellence  — 
Earlier  probably  the  better  —  Difference  in  material  —  Wax  colors 
or  distemper  —  Preparation  of  panel  —  Appealing  expression  — 
Modern  character  —  "Asklepiades,  eight  years  old" — Descrip- 
tion of  portrait  in  the  Graf  collection  —  Portrait  of  a  man  —  Style 
of  technique  —  Two    in    Museum    of  Fine   Arts  —  Mr.  Petrie's 


CONTENTS  XI 

PAGES 

excavations  —  Mr.  Ebers'  summary  —  Nationality,  use,  period  of 
execution  —  Realistic  treatment  —  Portraits  of  heathen  —  Rela- 
tion to  Pompeian  portraits.  Mosaics  —  Antiquity  —  Greek  mosaic 
—  Pliny's  reference  to  it  —  Replicas  in  Rome  —  Doves  —  Wall 
mosaic  in  fountain  decoration  —  Floor  mosaic —  Dog  from  House 
of  Tragic  Poet  —  Mosaic  of  cat  with  bird — Ducks  and  fish  — 
House  of  the  Faun  — Battle  of  Issos  —  Importance  —  Nile  mosaic 
from  Palestrina  —  Best  mosaics  from  Pompeii  in  National  Museum, 
Naples. 

Chapter  V — Mural  Painting 266-346 

Mural  Painting  in  Greece:  Its  importance  —  Scarcity  of  actual 
remains  in  Greece  —  Hope  for  important  discoveries  —  Mural 
remains  in  Greece  —  Discoveries  at  Tiryns,  Mykenae— Bull  fresco 
at  Tiryns  —  Long  parallel  bands  at  Mykenae  —  Blue  glass-paste 
at  Tiryns  —  Excavations  at  Knossos,  Crete  —  Cupbearer  — 
Frieze,  a  ceremonial  procession  —  Miniature  work  —  Mykenasan 
shrine  —  Fresco  of  fish  and  dolphins  —  Figure  in  yellow  jacket 

—  Figure  on  galloping  bull — Three  figures  in  circus  show  — 
Seated  figure  by  shrine  —  Fish  fresco  —  Excavations  at  Phyla- 
kopi,  Melos  —  Mykena;an  palace  —  Wall  paintings  —  Flying  fish 
frieze  —  Colors  used  —  Reference  to  Knossos  —  Seated  male 
figure  —  Stooping  male  figure  —  Frieze  of  liUes  —  Bird  —  Paint- 
ings on  terra  cotta  metopes.  Temple  of  Apollo,  Thermon. 

Mnral  Painting  in  Italy:  Etruscan  wall  paintings  —  Greco- 
Roman  painting — Etruria — Oldest  500  B.C. —  Plaques  at  Caere 

—  Chiusi — Cometo — Tarquinian  necropolis  —  Grottadel  Barone 

—  Grotta  delle  Bighe  —  Band  of  dancing  figures  —  Band  of  figures 
in  chariot  race  —  Funeral  banquet  —  Gymnastic  sports — Beauty 
and  color — Grotta  del  Tifone  —  Grotta  della  Querciola  —  Grotta 
del  Triclinio  —  Best  work  probably  contemporary  with  Apelles  — 
Banquet  scene — Sarcophagus  effigy  —  Greek  mythology — Tomba 
deir  Oreo  —  Banquet  scene — Mythological  scene  —  Summary. 

Pome:   Number  and  importance — Period  and  style  —  Baths    . 
of  Trajan  —  Lateran  —  Villa  Albani  —  Aldobrandini   Marriage 

—  Odyssey  landscapes  in  Vatican  Library  —  Color  and  style  — 
Via  Latina — Columbarium  of  Villa  Pamphili — Villa  of  Livia — 
House  of  Livia — Mythological  subjects — Landscape  and  street 
scenes  —  Farnesina  Palace  —  Summary. 


xii  CONTENTS 

Southern  Italy :  Greek  influences  —  Paestum,  Herculaneum, 
and  Pompeii  —  Color  and  method  of  work  —  Frescoes  in  Naples 
Museum  —  Five  pictures  signed  Alexander  of  Athens  —  Roman 
scenes  —  From  Psestum  —  Pompeii  —  Brief  account  of  its  destruc- 
tion —  Wall   decorations  —  Four    periods  —  Pre-Roman   period 

—  House  of  Sallust  —  Incrustation  style  —  Similar  examples  in 
Greek  cities  —  Importance  of  the  picture  in  scheme  of  decoration 

—  Ornate  style  —  House  of  Spurius  Mesor — Intricate  style  — 
Complicated  architectural  decorations  —  House  of  the  Tragic 
Poet  —  Scenes  from  the  Trojan  War  —  Nuptials  of  Zeus  and 
Hera  —  Departure  of  Briseis  —  Sacrifice  of  Iphigeneia — House 
of  the  Vettii — Mythological  subjects —  Cupid  scenes  in  industrial 
occupations  —  Other  mythological  groups  —  Herakles  strangling 
the  serpents  —  Dirke  and  the  Bull  —  Painters  as  craftsmen  — 
Color —  Landscape  symbolism  —  Composition —  Summary. 

Bibliography 347-352 

Index 353-361 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


Wall  painting,  Knossos,  Crete  :   Mykenasan  shrine     .     .     Frojitispiece. 

Iris Title-ptv^e       page 

Corfu 9 

Ithaka 14 

Olympia:   the  palestra  and  museum 19 

Central  portion  of  the  west  pediment  group.  Temple  of  Zeus,  Olympia  20 

Hermes,  by  Praxiteles 21 

riowing  scene,  from  a  Greek  vase  painting 23 

Olympia:  Temple  of  Ilera  and  Kronos  Hill 24 

Delphi 29 

Temple  of  Corinth t,"}, 

Corinth  and  Akro-Corinth 35 

Nauplia,  with  Palamidi  in  the  distance 38 

Tiryns  :  the  citadel  wall 39 

Tiryns  :  gallery  in  the  south  wall 41 

Mykens :  lion  gate 46 

Mykena; :   the  citadel 47 

Gold  cups  from  Vaphio 49 

Epidauros  :   theater,  with  sacred  inclosure  at  the  right 52 

Asklepios 53 

Athens :  Akropolis 59 

Propylaia,  with  Temjile  of  Nike  Apteros 61 

Erechtheion .  61 

Parthenon 62 

Votive  statue,  Akropolis  Museum.  AtJiens 65 

Temple  of  Nike  xVpteros 66 

Details  from  balustrade  of  Nike  Apteros 68 

Stele  of  Aristokles,  National  Archaeological  Museum,  Athens    .     .     .  69 

Grave  relief,  National  Archaeological  Museum,  .Vthens 71 

Modern  Athens 75 

^*'gi»a 77 

Sunion Si 

xiii 


XIV  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Temple  of  Sunion 8i 

Lykabettos gc 

Areopagos 85 

Pass  of  Daphni go 

Dipylon  Gate go 

Eleusinian  relief :   Demeter,  Persephone,  Triptolemos 95 

Eleusis  :  lesser  Propylaia 100 

Eleusis  :  architrave  of  Propylaia loi 

Athens :  Temple  of  Theseus 108 

Propylaia 108 

Odysseus  appearing  to  Nausikaii,  from  a  Greek  vase  painting  .  .  .110 
Odysseus  consulting  the  shades  of  Tiresias,  from  a  Greek  vase  painting     112 

Wall  painting,  Rome  (Odysseus  Series) 115 

Sacrifice  of  Iphigeneia,  wall  painting,  Pompeii 121 

lo  guarded  by  Argos,  wall  painting,  Rome 128 

Detail  from  Calumny,  by  Botticelli,  Florence 131 

Detail  from  Battle  of  Issos,  mosaic  from  Pompeii,  Naples  Museum  .  134 
Detail  from  Battle  of  Issos,  mosaic  from  Pompeii,  Naples  Museum  .  135 
Greek  vase  painter  at  work,  from  Jahrbuch  des  Kaiserlich  Deutschen 

Archaologischen  Instituts,  Vol.  XIV 139 

Archaic  vase :  warriors 140 

Herakles  and  the  Nemean  Hon,  kylix,  British  Museum 142 

Herakles  and  Atlas,  from  The  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIII  .  143 
Herakles  and  Helios,  from  The  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIX  144 
The  Birth  of  Athena,  catalogue  of  vases  in  British  Museum,  Vol.  II  .   145 

Attic  School,  by  Duris,  Archiiologische  Zeitung,  XXXII 146 

Shoemaker  at  work,  Baumeister,  III 147 

Odysseus'  escape  from  cave  of  Polyphemos 148 

Athletes,  kylix  in  British  Museum 148 

Youth  playing  flute,  style  of  Brygos,  kyhx  in  British  Museum  .  .  .149 
Odysseus  and  the  Sirens,  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIII  .  .150 
Odysseus  announcing  to  Achilles  that  he  is  come  to  take  away  Briseis, 

kylix,  British  Museum 151 

A  naval  fight,  Etruscan  hydria  from  Vulci 152 

Decorations  from  a  Dipylon  vase,  from  Jour,  of  Hellenic  Studies,  1899  155 
.(Eneas  carrying  Anchises,  Etrus.  und  kamp.  Vasenbilder,  by  Gerhard  .  158 
Achilles  and  Neoptolemos,  Etrus.  und  kamp.  Vasenbilder,  by  Gerhard  159 
Eos,  the  Dawn,  pursuing  Tithonos,  style  of  Brygos,  kylix,  Brit.  Mus.  .  160 
The  Ghost  of  Patroklos  hovering  over  the  Greek  fleet,  amphora  in 

British  Museum 161 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  xv 


PAGE 


Fran9ois  vase,  Etruscan,  Archaeological  Museum,  Florence  ....  162 
The  Marriage  of  Zeus  and  Hera,  from  a  vase  in  the  British  Museum  .  165 
Sacrifice  to  Dionysos,  amphora,  severe  style,  Naples  Museum  .  .  .  166 
Scene  from  a  pottery:  painting  the  vase,  from  a  hydria  in  Ruvo,  Italy  167 

Detail  from  Orpheus  vase.  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  Boston 169 

The  slaying  of  Aigisthos,  Etrus.  und  kamp.  Vasenbilder,  by  Gerhard  .   170 

Lekythos,  Naples  Museum 171 

Three   women   mourning    beside    a    dead    youth,   from   an    Athenian 

lekythos  in  the  British  Museum 172 

Three  figures  at  a  toml^,  from  an  Athenian  lekythos  in  the   British 

Museum I73 

Young  warrior   being  laid   in   tomb    by    Death   and    Sleep,   from    an 

Athenian  lekythos  in  the  British  Museum 175 

Death  of  Memnon,  by  Duris,  kyhx  in  the  Louvre 179 

Aphrodite  riding  on  a  flying  swan,  from  a  vase  in  the  British  IMuseum    181 

Temple  of  Neptune,  Pa-stum 184 

Temple  of  Athena,  ^gina 185 

Ionic  capital,  showing  color 187 

Metope  from  the  Temple  of  Zeus,  Olympia 191 

Metope  from  the  Temple  of  Zeus,  Olympia 192 

Architectural  details  from  Olympia,  showing  color 193 

Temple  of  Theseus,  Athens 195 

The  Parthenon I99 

Parthenon:   Fragment  of  fret  and  honeysuckle,  showing  color     .     .     .  201 

Parthenon :  metope 204 

Parthenon  :  metope -06 

Alexander  sarcophagus  :  frieze  of  the  Lion  Hunt 209 

Details  from  frieze  of  the  Lion  Hunt 211 

Details  from  frieze  of  the  Lion  Himt 213 

Alexander  sarcophagus,  end  view -14 

Gravestone  of  Philis,  Louvre 219 

Archaic  votive  statue,  Akropolis  Museum,  Athens 223 

Archaic  votive  statues,  Akropolis  Museum,  Athens 227 

Archaic  groups.  Akropolis  Museum,  Athens 233 

Coin  of  Elis  :  head  of  Zeus  ;  Zeus  on  throne 236 

Demeter,  terra  cotta  from  Palermo 242 

Figurine  :  woman  and  maiden 244 

Portrait  of  a  man,  Fayiim.  P'gypl 251 

Two  portraits,  Fayum,  Egypt 253 

Portraits  of  P.  Paquius  Proculus  and  his  wife,  wall  painting,  Pompeii  .   254 


xvi  l.lS'i'   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

1'A<;r 

Sappho,  Pompeii 255 

Doves,  mosaic,  Capitoline  Museum,  Rome 258 

Fountain,  Pompeii 259 

Cave  Canem,  mosaic,  Pompeii 261 

Fish,  mosaic,  Pompeii 263 

Detail  of  Nile  mosaic  from  Palestrina 265 

Frieze  and  spiral  band,  Mykens 269 

Bull  fresco,  Tiryns 271 

Fragment  of  a  wall  painting,  Tiryns 272 

Knossos 273 

Cat  stalking  a  bird,  fresco,  Phaistos,  Crete 274 

Ruins  of  the  palace,  Knossos,  Crete 277 

Flying  fish,  wall  painting  from  Phylakopi 281 

View  of  Phylakopi,  Melos 283 

Fisherman  from  vase,  Phaistos,  Crete 285 

Figure  from  Phylakopi 285 

The  hunter:  painted  terra  cotta  metope,  Thermon,  ^tolia     ....  287 
Perseus  :  painted  terra  cotta  metope,  Thermon,  ^tolia       .....  288 

Fresco  in  Etruscan  tomb,  Tarquinia 291 

Etruscan  fresco  :  horsemen 293 

Biga  from  chariot  race 294 

The  farewell  of  Admetos  and  Alkestis,  from  an  Etruscan  vase,  Vulci  .   295 

Biga  bearing  a  soul  to  Elysium,  Tomba  Golini,  Orvieto 296 

Feasting  scene,  Grotta  del  Triclinio,  Tarquinia 298 

Dancing  figures,  Grotta  del  Triclinio,  Tarquinia 299 

Alabaster  polychrome  sarcophagus.  Royal  Arch.  Museum,  Florence     .  301 

Hades  and  Persephone,  Grotta  dell'  Oreo,  Corneto 302 

Aruth  Velchas  and  his  wife,  Grotta  dell'  Oreo,  Corneto 303 

The  Aldobrandini  Marriage,  Vatican,  Rome 307 

Odyssey  landscape  scenes,  Rome 309 

Wall  painting  :  villa  of  Livia,  Rome 312 

Wall  painting:  villa  of  Livia,  Rome 313 

lo  set  free  by  Hermes,  house  of  Livia,  Rome 315 

Room  showing  division  of  wall  spaces,  Pompeii 319 

Theseus  and  the  Minotaur,  National  Museum,  Naples 320 

Daughters  of  Niobe  :  painting  on  marble  by  Alexander,  National  Mu- 
seum, Naples :;2I 

Warriors  returning  home  :  wall  ])ainting  from  Paestum,  National  Mu- 
seum, Naples 322 

Interior  of  a  Pompeian  house 325 


LIS!"   OF   ILLLS'lRAl'lOiNS  xvii 

pac;e 

Second  or  architectural  style,  rompeii 3-7 

Wall  painting:    young  woman  painting  a  herm:    House  of  Surgeon, 

Pompeii 3-9 

Third  or  ornate  style,  Pompeii 33^ 

^neas  wounded,  National  Museum,  Naples 33^ 

The  Judgment  of  Paris 334 

Achilles  sending  away  Briseis,  wall  painting  from   the   House  of  the 

Tragic  Poet 335 

Pasiphae  and  Daidalos,  House  of  Vettii,  Pompeii 336 

Cupids  pouring  wine,  House  of  Vettii,  Pompeii 339 

Cupid  riding  on  crab.  House  of  Vettii,  Pompeii 340 

Dancing  figure.  House  of  Vettii,  Pompeii 341 

Decorative  figure:  Ceres,  Pompeii 343 

lo  conducted  into  Egypt,  Pompeii 345 


Map  of  Greece 


XVlll 


THE 

GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

INTRODUCTION 

A   RECENT   VISIT   TO    GREECE 

Leaving  Rome  —  Brindisi  —  Santa  Quaranta  —  Corfu  —  Patras  — 
Pyrgos —  Myth  of  Arethusa  —  Olympia  —  Patras  to  Corinth  —  Delphi 

—  Old  Corinth  —  Akro-Corinth —  Nauplia  —  Tiryns  —  Argos —  My- 
kenae  —  Epidauros — Athens  —  The  Akropolis  —  Akropolis  Museum 

—  Archaeological  Museum  —  Athens  —  ^gina  —  Lykabettos  —  Are- 
opagos  —  Ilissos  —  Kolonos  —  Kephisos  —  Pentelikon  —  Hymettos 

—  Marathon  —  Dipylon   Gate  —  Kephisos — Myth  of  Demeter  and 
Persephone  —  Pass  of  Daphni  —  Mysteries  of  Eleusis  —  Eleusis. 

A  journey  to  Greece  is  not  at  all  a  difficult  mat- 
ter in  these  days.  The  traveler  may  choose  one  of 
two  ways  for  his  approach :  he  may  go  by  steamer 
from  Naples,  and,  passing  through  the  Strait  of 
Messina,  cross  the  Ionian  Sea,  round  the  southern 
point  of  the  Peloponnesus,  and  by  way  of  the  Saronic 
Gulf  proceed  to  Athens;  or  he  may  leave  Rome  or 
Naples,  proceed  by  rail  to  Brindisi,  —  a  iif teen-hour 
journey  from  Rome  but  achieved  in  one  day, — 
and  thence  he  may  embark  by  steamer  for  Patras, 
spending  two  nights  and  one  day  on  the  sea.     The 


2  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

latter  is  the  course  followed  by  our  party  of  seven, 
and  may  be  accomplished  without  difficulty  pro- 
vided plans  are  carefully  made  in  advance. 

Traveling  in  Greece  now  is  quite  without  the 
exciting  element  of  danger  that  made  such  a 
journey  perilous  not  many  years  ago.  It  is  cer- 
tainly wise  to  procure  the  services  of  a  dragoman 
if  one  intends  to  leave  the  main  lines  of  travel. 
Such  service  is  not  difficult  to  find  in  Athens,  and, 
when  procured,  relieves  one  of  all  responsibility  for 
food,  carriages,  and  railway  planning,  which  are  im- 
portant items  if  the  interior  of  Greece  attracts  the 
traveler.  French  may  be  used  at  most  of  the  hotels ; 
in  Athens  hotel  accommodations  do  not  differ  from 
those  found  in  most  large  European  cities. 

Our  septet  left  Rome  at  an  early  hour  on  the 
second  day  of  April.  As  we  traveled  south  the 
country  became  more  and  more  tropical.  Peasants, 
both  men  and  women,  clad  in  blue  or  white,  with 
gay  kerchiefs  on  their  heads,  plowed,  planted,  and 
dressed  the  fields.  Apricot,  peach,  plum,  and  cherry 
trees  were  in  the  full  glory  of  pink  and  white  blooms, 
their  fresh  color  showing  like  huge  bouquets  against 
the  greens  of  outspread  palms  and  dusky  aloes. 
Far  to   the  left   distant   mountains  gave  a  rim  of 


INTRODUCTION  3 

violet  to  the  fertile  plains,  and  turbid,  fretful  streams 
wound  a  pale  ribbon  of  greenish  white  in  and  out, 
uniting  the  varied  parts  into  an  harmonious  whole. 

Here  and  there  stucco  houses  of  pale  lavender, 
yellow,  or  pink,  edged  by  a  frill  of  red  tiling  on  roof 
or  pavement,  with  brightly  colored  latticed  porches, 
and  doorways  of  green  or  blue,  threw  bewitchingly 
picturesque  details  at  our  fleeting  glance.  Such 
tempting  bits  of  color!  Such  interesting  glimpses 
of  human  life !  Fruit  venders,  husbandmen,  idlers, 
water  carriers,  flower  girls,  —  a  medley  of  varied 
notes,  —  whose  ruddy  flesh  tones  and  gay  costumes 
made  a  picture  which  is  impossible  to  describe. 

Approaching  Naples,  we  could  see  Vesuvius,  a 
dim,  cone-shaped  peak,  smoking  sullenly  in  the  dis- 
tance, the  while  keeping  watch  over  the  enchanted 
islands  of  Ischia  and   Capri  adrift  in  the  blue  sea 

beyond. 

"  Far  vague  and  dim 

The  mountains  swim ; 
While  on  Vesuvius'  misty  brim, 
With  outstretched  hands, 
The  gray  smoke  stands, 
O'erlooking  the  volcanic  lands. 

"  Here  Ischia  smiles 
O'er  liipiid   miles; 


4  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

And,  yonder,  bluest  of  the  isles. 

Calm  Capri  waits, 

Her  sapphire  gates 

Beguiling  her  to  bright  estates. 

"  In  lofty  Hnes, 
'Mid  palms  and  pines, 
And  olives,  aloes,  elms,  and  vines, 
Sorrento  swings 
On  sunset  wings. 
Where  Tasso's  spirit  soars  and  sings." 

The  air  grew  hot.  Lemon  and  orange  trees  gave 
forth  fragrant  odors  and  glowing  colors ;  the  round 
balls,  peeping  out  between  glistening  leaves,  shone 
gayly  like  little  bronzed  suns.  Cacti,  palms,  and 
spicy  pines  lent  their  green  and  blue-gray  notes,  and 
over  all,  out  of  a  cloudless  blue  sky,  looked  down  the 
shining  sun,  casting  jagged  splotches  of  shadow  here 
and  there  on  the  warm  yellow  ocher  of  upturned  soil. 
Soon  we  left  the  coast,  turning  to  the  east,  and, 
climbing  higher  and  higher,  w^ound  in  and  out 
among  the  rough  mountains  or  crawled  through  nar- 
row passes  in  our  effort  to  cross  the  rugged  back- 
bone of  the  Apennines,  whose  snowy  crests  loomed 
up  sharply  against  the  blue.  These  crests  followed 
us  for  a  long  distance,  presenting  marvelous  effects 
of  brilliance  and  delicacy  in  the  pure  atmosphere. 


INTRODUCTION  5 

After  crossing  their  heights  the  character  of  the 

country    gradually    changed,    broadening    out    into 

smooth,  level  plains  which  were  covered  with  the 

bright  yellow-green  of  grass  and  early  grain.    Once 

we  changed  cars  and   delightedly  poured  out  into 

the  fresh  air,  giving  vent   to  an  ecstasy  of   spirits 

that   quite  alarmed  the  sober  train  officials.     And 

then  we  saw   the    sea, — a   pale    strip    of  blue    in 

the  distance,  —  the   same  Adriatic  that  had   borne 

merchantmen    and   crusaders    from   Venice   to   the 

far  East. 

Brindisi 

Skirting  the  coast  to  the  south,  we  passed  enchant- 
ing bits  of  scenery, — houses  of  white  stucco  which, 
in  the  fast-gathering  twilight,  assumed  reticent  hues 
of  blue,  pale  lavender,  pink,  and  warm  orange,  show- 
ing like  flower  clusters  against  the  neutral  violet 
background  of  sea  or  sky.  Tropical  foliage  grew 
dark  as  the  night  came  down,  and  by  the  time  we 
reached  Brindisi  all  color  had  been  absorbed  in  one 
cool  note  of  misty  gray.  We  were  quite  tired  out 
by  that  time,  and  were  only  too  glad  to  go  to  our 
rooms  at  the  hotel  for  an  hour  or  two,  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  the  boat  from  Trieste.  At  one  o'clock 
we  boarded  the  Carniola,  a  fine  new  vessel  of  the 


6  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Austrian  line.     Soon  we  found  our  staterooms,  and 

before  half  an  hour  had  passed,  were  lulled  to  sleep 

by  the  even  movement  of  the  ship  as  she  glided  out 

of  the  harbor  into  the  open  sea. 

The  next  morning  we  were  early  on  deck,  eager 

to    watch    the    splendid    coast    scenery    of   western 

Turkey.      On    our   left    the    Albanian    Mountains 

were  boldly  outlined,  their  steep,  precipitous  sides 

presenting  varied  colors,  from  gray,  blue,  and  warm 

violet   to  rich  orange  and  red  where   the  veins  of 

limestone    came    to    the    surface.      Farther    south 

small  villages  appeared,  their  brown  and  red  roofs 

mingling  harmoniously  with   the  prevailing  tones. 

As  the  sun  shone  down  hotly  toward  noon,  the  sea 

became  a  brilliant   blue  and   the  clear  atmosphere 

l^rought    out    wonderful    colors    on    the    mountain 

sides. 

Santa  Ouaranta,  Turkey 

At  Santa  Ouaranta,  —  the  place  of  the  forty 
chapels,  —  a  Turkish  port,  we  stopped  for  coal. 
Many  boats  put  out  from  shore  filled  with  a  mot- 
ley crowd  of  Turks  in  scarlet  fezzes  and  costumes 
of  indescribably  daring  and  brilliant  hues.  The  sea 
seemed  to  become  alive  with  trembling  reflections. 
Its  color  of  topaz,  azure,  and  turquoise  was  dashed 


INTRODUCTION  7 

with  wriggling  spottings  of  yellows  scarlet,  green, 
orange,  and  white,  in  a  medley  of  notes  whose 
confusion  suggested  the  wild  harmonies  of  barbaric 
music.  The  mountains  still  kept  their  quiet  back- 
ground of  warm  neutrals,  against  which  in  solemn 
desolation  stood  the  ruins  of  the  forty  chapels 
from  which  the  town  is  named. 

The  whole  scene  was  one  of  varied  contrasts  ; 
but  the  life,  movement,  and  color  of  the  two  hun- 
dred Turks  who  came  on  board  claimed  our  keen- 
est interest.  They  climbed  from  the  small  boats 
up  the  ship's  ladder  and  disappeared  on  the  deck 
below.  Of  course  we  snapped  our  cameras  at  them 
and  sketched  as  fast  as  color  and  pencil  could  fly. 
Then  we  steamed  out  of  the  harbor,  and  in  an 
hour  or  so  reached  Corfii,  the  Greek  Kerkyra,  a 
large  fertile  island  lying  west  of  Epirus. 

CORFLJ 

Corfu  was  at  one  time  owned  by  the  British,  but 
lately  has  been  restored  to  Greece.  It  was  origi- 
nally settled  by  people  from  Corinth,  and  now,  owing 
to  its  long  possession  by  the  Venetians  and  British, 
its  population  is  quite  above  the  average  Greek 
town  in  intelligence.    The  roads  are  fine;  it  has  a 


8  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

small  garrison,  but  its  forts,  Fortezza  Nuova  and  For- 
tezza  Vecchia,  are  no  longer  used.  Corfu,  its  capital 
town,  is  a  prosperous  city  of  twenty-five  thousand  in- 
habitants. The  harbor  is  spacious,  surrounded  by 
fine  mountains,  and  reminds  one  of  Naples. 

Embarking  in  small  boats,  we  left  our  steamer, 
and  after  a  short  row  landed  amid  a  gesticulating, 
chattering  crowd  of  strange-looking  peoples  with 
bronzed  faces  and  curious  costumes.  Here  for  the 
first  time  we  saw  the  peasant-Greek's  dress,  —  the 
long  lamb's-wool  coat,  white  cotton  or  linen  blouse, 
and  many-fiuted  petticoat  ending  just  above  the 
knees.  Some  wore  pale  yellow,  others  white  or 
black  gaiters  fitting  close  to  the  leg  and  tied  about 
the  knee  with  a  garter  of  black  ending  in  a  large 
pompon.  Most  of  the  men  wore  short  kilted  skirts, 
but  others  had  the  fullness  gathered  in  at  the  knee, 
—  the  Albanian  costume. 

We  drove  for  an  hour  or  more  through  a  perfect 
fairyland  of  verdure.  The  olive  trees  here  attain  an 
unusual  height,  —  from  thirty  to  sixty  feet.  Their 
knotted  and  gnarled  trunks  take  on  fantastic  shapes 
which  give  a  Druidlike  suggestion  of  the  myste- 
rious. Between  them  we  catch  glimpses  of  stucco 
houses,  delicate  pink,  creamy  white,  pale  yellow,  and 


INTRODUCTION 


lavender,  —  charming  bits  of  color  against  their 
silvery  gray-green  leaves.  The  lemon  and  orange 
trees  are  unusually  verdant,  their  polished  leaves 
reflecting  the  colors  of  sky  and  glowing  fruit. 


Corfu 
And  where  besides  at  Corfu  can  one  find  such  lus- 
cious oranges  }  Little  fleet-footed  Greek  children, 
strong  and  lithe  of  limb,  followed  our  carriages 
and  begged  in  the  prettiest  way  for  our  attention, 
holding  out  bunches  of  flowers  as  well  as  the  golden 
fruit.  Ah  !  and  one  little  girl,  a  very  Atalanta  in 
the  race,  ran  breathlessly  an  eighth  of  a  mile  with 


lO  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

her  golden  offering.  But  we  had  feasted  well,  and 
it  is  a  lasting  regret  that  I  did  not  buy,  just  to  have 
prevented  the  shadow  from  falling  on  her  bright  face. 

From  one  point  of  the  island  we  saw  the  place 
where  Odysseus,  cast  up  from  the  sea,  met  the 
Princess  Nausikaa ;  and  here,  too,  is  his  ship  which 
Poseidon  turned  into  stone. 

•  Nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  of  sea  and  sky, 
—  indeed,  the  entire  setting  of  this  beautiful  island. 
We  ate  oranges,  reveled  in  the  fine  bracing  air  and 
in  the  corresponding  tone  of  our  spirits,  and  dreamed 
that  it  might  last  indefinitely.  But  all  too  soon  we 
reached  the  town,  saw  the  motley  crowd  with  its  con- 
fused medley  of  many-toned  voices,  which  blended 
into  one  dull  monotone  as  we  left  the  shore  and 
again  drifted  out  into  the  azure-blue  depths. 

On  board  the  steamer  we  found  the  same  pictur- 
esque confusion  which  we  had  left,  and  all  became 
still  more  animated  as  we  steamed  out  of  the  har- 
bor. A  British  man-of-war  sounded  the  bugles, 
Scotch  bagpipes  played,  and  pipers  piped  their  live- 
liest, —  our  own  Turkish  shepherds  leading.  These 
shepherds  were  strikingly  garbed,  wearing  a  white 
fez  or  turban  upon  the  head,  white  lamb's-wool  coats 
bordered  with  black,  and  white  or  black  gaiters,  with 


INTRODUCTION  1 1 

large,  pointed  slippers.  They  gathered  in  groups 
and  chanted  in  low,  monotonous  tones  a  weird, 
rhythmic  melody  in  excellent  time.  To  the  right 
a  piper  played  his  flute  to  an  admiring  audience 
of  young  men  and  boys,  who  sometimes  chanted  in 
unison ;  near  him  stood  a  goat  with  her  little  black 
kid,  —  his  mountain  playmate. 

Just  under  the  stairs  from  the  upper  deck  sat 
a  young  Turkish  woman,  her  face  carefully  con- 
cealed from  view  by  the  long  white  veil  which  fell 
from  below  the  eyes,  down  over  the  shoulders, 
completely  concealing  her  figure.  A  little  child 
played  near,  and  still  farther  to  the  left,  on  rugs 
or  mattresses,  lay  stretched  a  dozen  or  more  men 
with  slippers  off,  their  scarlet  or  white  full  trousers 
and  white,  big-sleeved  shirts  making  brilliant  spots 
of  contrasting  color. 

On  the  top  of  a  raised  deck,  on  a  gorgeous 
striped  rug,  sat,  crosslegged,  a  Turk  with  his  three 
wives,  their  faces  shrouded  in  veils,  which  hid 
all  but  their  eyes.  One  was  dressed  in  brown, 
a  sort  of  hood  covering  her  head  and  falling  over 
her  shoulders  in  ample  folds.  Another  wore  a 
bright  blue  garment  which  seemed  to  be  made  of 
one    piece.     Her    veil    of    thin    black    gauze    hung 


12  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

over  her  face,  quite  concealing  the  lower  part. 
Her  feet  were  crossed  and  in  her  lap  nestled  a 
tiny  baby,  the  miniature  image  of  the  father,  his 
little  thin  bare  legs  and  feet  turned  inward  in  true 
Turkish  fashion.  The  third  wore  some  dark  stuff. 
She  had  wrapped  about  her  forehead  a  black  scarf 
which  covered  all  the  lower  part  of  her  face  as  well. 
Their  tyrant  occasionally  spoke  to  one  of  them  and 
later  he  brought  some  food  to  another.  He  was  a 
keen-featured,  dark-skinned,  low-browed  man,  whose 
forbidding  expression  was  all  the  more  sharply  ac- 
centuated by  his  red  fez. 

From  the  upper  deck  we  had  a  fine  view  of  this 
curious  medley,  which  in  the  fast-gathering  twilight 
soon  lost  its  separate  individuality  and  blended  into 
one  harmonious  tone  of  color.  After  the  darkness 
fell  we  went  down  to  the  lower  deck,  threaded  our 
way  among  the  people,  studied  their  attitudes  and 
costumes  more  closely,  and  made  drawings  sur- 
reptitiously ;  for  if  there  is  anything  that  a  Moham- 
medan fears  and  hates  it  is  a  likeness  of  himself, 
and  we  had  no  desire  to  receive  a  dagger  thrust. 

It  was  now  night  and  the  ship  moved  smoothly 
on  her  course  under  the  guiding  influence  of  the 
stars  which  shone  down  brightly  out  of  the  deep 


INTRODUCTION  1 3 

blue  sky.  At  intervals  a  Turk  came  up  from  below, 
and,  kneeling  upon  his  prayer  rug,  facing  the  east, 
prostrated  himself  with  forehead  touching  the  floor, 
as  he  prayed  to  the  same  God  who  "  watching  over 
Israel  slumbers  not  nor  sleeps."  Then  all  was  quiet. 
We  went  to  our  staterooms  and  were  soon  charmed 
to  sleep  by  the  low  rhythmic  notes  of  an  occasional 
chant  from  some  group  below,  or  the  soothing 
swish  of  the  water  as  the  ship  plowed  her  way 
along  toward  the  coast  of  Greece. 

We  were  awakened  early  the  next  morning  by 
word  from  the  stewardess  that  we  were  approaching 
Patras.  The  sun  in  a  warm  golden  haze  sleepily 
smiled  at  us  over  the  mountain  tops  of  the  coast  of 
Epirus;  on  our  right  was  Ithaka,  and  farther  south 
the  shore  of  the  Peloponnesus.  The  harbor  of 
Patras  presented  an  animated  scene.  Tall-masted 
vessels  bordered  the  quay ;  boats  of  every  size  and 
description  scurried  here  and  there,  making  bright 
spots  of  color  wliich  were  reflected  in  the  clear  water 
in  varying  notes  of  blue,  orange,  green,  red,  and 
violet.  The  Union  Jack  waved  gayly  from  an  Eng- 
lish boat  and  British  middies  swung  round  in  gal- 
lant style  in  dark  blue  suits  and  flat  round  caps. 
Greeks,    Turks,    French,    English,  and   Americans 


H 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


hurried  ashore,  jumping  into  the  rowboats  regard- 
less of  dignity  or  order,  —  only  eager  to  touch  the 
sacred  soil  of  Greece. 

Soon  after  seven  we  boarded  the  train  for  Olym- 
pia,  exchanging   the  white  town   with   its  brightly 


Ithaka 

colored  fruit  stands,  its  many  noisy,  gesticulating, 
curiously  dressed  people,  its  dust  and  confusion, 
for  one  of  the  most  charming  coast-line  journeys 
one  could  wish  to  enjoy.  To  our  right  was  the 
sea,  a  pale  azure  in  the  morning  light,  bordered  by 
mountain  islands  of  rose,  amethyst,  and  pale  violet: 
Ithaka,   where   the   hero    Odysseus    was    born,   and 


INTRODUCTION  1 5 

Kephallenia,  the  modern  Cephalonia.  Orchards 
with  pink-tinted  apricot  blooms  made  bright  spots 
of  color  against  the  white  stucco  houses  or  the 
dusky  green  of  olive  trees.  The  sun  grew  hotter 
and  the  color  more  intense  as  we  proceeded. 
On  our  left  white-topped  mountains  caught  their 
shadows  from  the  blue  sky  above,  from  which  the 
eye  traveled  restfully  downward  to  the  richly  wooded 
slopes  of  mingled  blues  and  greens,  and  still  lower 
to  the  crisp  bright  yellow-greens  of  fertile  meadow 
lands  and  the  yellow  strips  of  freshly  broken,  up- 
turned soil  of  the  vineyards. 

Pyrgos 

Nearing  Pyrgos  we  saw  in  the  distance,  rising 
ethereal  as  a  flower,  the  island  of  Zante,  from  which 
the  peak  of  Mount  Skopos  raises  its  splendid  head. 
Here  we  left  the  coast  and,  changing  cars,  pro- 
ceeded inland  through  the  fertile  valley  of  the 
Alpheios,  whose  olive  groves  and  vineyards  still 
make  it  one  of  the  richest  spots  of  Greece,  as  it 
was  in  the  days  of   Homer. 

We  fancied  that  we  saw  the  nymph  Arethusa, 
whose  joy  was  in  the  chase,  fleetly  following  her 
hounds   down  those  wooded   hillsides.      The  story 


1 6  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

says  that  "  One  day,  returning  from  the  wood  heated 
with  exercise,  she  descended  to  a  stream  silently 
flowing,  so  clear  that  you  might  count  the  pebbles 
on  the  bottom.  And  while  she  sported  in  the  water 
she  heard  an  indistinct  murmur  rising  out  of  the 
depths  of  the  stream.  As  she  made  haste  to  reach 
the  nearest  bank  a  voice  called:  'Why  flyest  thou, 
Arethusa?  Alpheios  am  I,  the  god  of  this  stream.'" 
The  nymph  hastily  ran  but  the  god  followed,  until 
at  last  Arethusa,  exhausted,  called  to  Artemis,  who 
wrapped  her  in  a  thick  cloud.  Thus  she  became  a 
fountain  whose  waters,  still  seeking  to  elude  the  river 
god,  plunged  into  the  depths  of  the  sea  and  came 
out  in  Sicily.    Shelley's  musical  lines  repeat  the  tale : 

Arethusa  arose 

Froni  her  couch  of  snows 

In  the  Akrokeraunian  mountains, 

From  cloud  and  from  crag, 

With  many  a  jag, 

Shepherding  her  bright  fountains, 

She  leapt  down  the  rocks, 

With  her  rainbow  locks 

Streaming  among  the  streams ; 

Her  steps  paved  with  green 

The  downward  ravine 

Which  slopes  to  the  westward  gleams ; 


^ 


INTRODUCTION  1 7 

Then  Alpheios  bold, 

On  his  glacier  cold, 

With  his  trident  the  mountain  strook 

And  opened  a  chasm 

In  the  rocks ;  —  with  the  spasm 
All  Erymanthos  shook. 

*  *  *  * 

The  beard  and  the  hair 

Of  the  River-god  were 

Seen  through  the  torrent's  sweep, 

As  he  followed  the  light 

Of  the  fleet  nymph's  flight. 

To  the  brink  of  the  Dorian  deep. 

Olympia 

We  reached  Olympia  at  noon,  when  the  very 
insects  lay  sleeping  and  the  hot  sun  shone  down 
on  the  white  road  that  once  the  foot  of  many  a 
famous  athlete  had  trod.  After  a  simple  lunch  in 
the  primitive  hotel  near  the  station,  where,  by  the 
way,  we  first  tasted  butter  made  from  goats'  milk 
—  to  like  it  is  an  acquired  taste  —  and  ate  of  the 
delicious  amber-colored  honey  from  Hymettos,  we 
walked  to  the  museum,  a  building  designed  by 
a  German  architect,  with  the  aid  of  Dr.  Dbrpfeld, 
after  the   model  of   the  ancient  sacred  Temple  of 


1 8  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

Zeus.  Here  may  be  seen,  arranged  with  great  care 
in  order  to  preserve  their  archaeological  significance, 
the  priceless  remains  of  architecture  and  sculpture 
found  at  Olympia  during  the  excavations  made  for 
the  German  government  by  Ernst  Curtius  in  1874. 
The  work  occupied  six  years  and  cost  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  Now  the  great  rectangle  of  the 
Altis,  six  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  by  five  hun- 
dred broad,  is  uncovered,  with  the  exception  of  the 
stadion  and  a  small  bit  of  the  northwest  corner. 

Olympia  was  never  a  town ;  it  was  merely  a  sacred 
precinct  with  temples,  public  buildings,  and  a  few 
dwelling  houses.  Its  importance  lay  wholly  in  the 
reverence  of  the  entire  Greek  world  for  its  "  shrines, 
and  above  all  for  its  famous  games  in  honor  of  Zeus, 
which,  during  a  period  of  more  than  a  thousand 
years,  were  periodically  celebrated  by  the  Greeks  of 
all  states  and  of  all  families."  This  famous  spot, 
situated  at  the  union  of  the  Alpheios  and  Kladeos, 
remained  almost  undisturbed  down  to  Christian 
times.  Since  then  it  has  lain  buried  under  a  de- 
posit of  loose  alluvial  soil  from  sixteen  to  twenty- 
three  feet  deep,  which,  when  removed  thirty  years 
ago,  disclosed  not  only  the  foundations  of  the  vari- 
ous sacred  buildings  and  pedestals  of  statues  but 


INTRODUCTION 


19 


also  "  one  hundred  and  thirty  marble  statues,  thirty 
thousand  articles  in  bronze,  and  four  hundred  in- 
scriptions." 

To  the  museum  already  mentioned  have  been 
taken  these  precious  relics,  which  one  may  see 
to-day  just   as   they  were  found   in  the  loose  soil. 


Olympia  :  THE  Palestra  and  Museum 


with  traces  of  color  still  upon  them  and  the  touch 
of  the  chisel  still  clearly  visible  in  the  warmly 
toned  marble.  Here  may  be  seen  the  pediment 
groups  from  the  Temple  of  Zeus,  —  the  Prepara- 
tion of  Pelops  for  the  Chariot  Race  and  the  Contest 
between  the  Lapiths  and  Kentaurs.  In  the  lat- 
ter composition   the  figure  of  Apollo  is  especially 


20 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


fine.  His  dignified  attitude  as  he  stands  with  out- 
stretched arm  to  quell  the  tumult  inspires  one  with 
admiration,  so  large,  so  noble,  are  its  proportions, 
so  quiet,  so  compelling,  is  its  influence.  His  face 
is  calm,  perhaps  too  calm  for  so  decisive  an  action, 
but  in  contrast  to  the  brutal  faces  of  kentaurs  and 


Central  Portion  of  the  West  Pediment  Group  from 
THE  Temple  of  Zeus,  Olympia 

the  diagonal  lines  of  kneeling  figures  in  attitudes  of 
active  resistance,  it  holds  the  attention. 

The  marble  is  of  a  warm  yellowish  tone  broken 
by  cooler  grays.  The  surface  is  pebbly,  worn,  giv- 
ing an  ancient  look  to  the  marble  as  if  "  the  tooth 
of  time  "  had  indeed  done  its  work,  even  hungrily. 
Yet  when  one  remembers  that  at  least  twenty-three 


INTRODUCTION 


21 


hundred  years  have  passed  since  the  marble  left  its 

rude  bed  in  the  mountain  sides  to  be  fashioned  into 

the    semblance    of    a 

god,  one  is  surprised 

at    the    freshness    of 

youth    which    the 

figure    carries.     One 

kneeling  figure  with 

bent  head  appears 

less  archaic  than  her 

fellows,    and    by   her 

flowing  draperies  and 

long    sinuous  curves 

seems  to  belong  to  a 

period    far    removed 

from    the    stiff    folds 

and    regular  lines  of 

early  sculpture. 

In    a    small    room 

at    the    rear   of    tlic 

museum  is  Praxiteles' 
Hermes,    by   critics 

called   the    finest 

statue   of    antiquity,   as   it    certainly   is   one   of   the 

best  preserved.     No  cast  gives  any  adequate  idea 


Hermes 
By  Praxiteles 


22  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

of  the  beauty  of  this  figure.  His  pose  is  one  of 
complete  ease.  He  rests  lightly  on  one  foot,  his 
face  turned  with  a  very  human  sweetness  toward 
the  small  baby,  who  in  turn  looks  up  in  serious, 
expectant  attitude  towards  some  object  which 
Hermes  was  in  all  probability  holding  out  to  him 
in  his  right  hand. 

The  quality  of  the  marble  is  exceptionally  fine, 
giving  to  the  figure  a  lightness  and  grace  which 
are  still  more  emphasized  by  the  transparent  texture 
and  highly  reflective  character  of  the  stone.  The 
details  are  finished  with  exquisite  care.  The  face 
is  so  round  and  smooth  that  it  seems  soft  to  the 
touch.  The  lips  are  full,  curved,  and  half-parted,  as 
if  ready  to  speak  or  smile.  The  legs  are  partly 
restored,  —  from  knee  to  ankle,  —  but  the  original 
foot,  which  is  bound  with  a  sandal,  is  chiseled  with 
a  nicety  that  marks  the  highest  art. 

Faint  traces  of  color,  red  and  gold  still  mark  the 
lines  of  the  hair  and  sandal  and  add  an  interest  to  the 
figure  apart  from  its  w^orkmanship,  proving  that  color 
was  used  at  the  best  period  of  Greek  sculpture  upon 
figures  not  intended  for  architectural  decoration. 

The  statue  is  a  noble  piece  of  work,  dignified, 
simple,    chaste,    so    alive    that    it   breathes   forth   a 


INTRODUCTION 


23 


beauty  belonging  to  no  time  nor  age.  Praxiteles' 
hand  still  seems  to  linger  caressingly  over  those  flow- 
ing lines,  those  subtle  curves,  and  we  in  turn  almost 
feel  his  personal  touch  through  the  glistening  stone. 

Leaving  the  silent  figure,  we  pass  through  the 
two  side  corridors  of  the  museum,  wliich  are  filled 
with  broken  fragments  of  interesting  reliefs,  rich  in 
color  as  well  as  de- 
sign, belonging  to  x^;^^ 
early  Greek  and  ^^ 
later  Roman  peri- 
ods. 

As  we  follow 
the  winding  road 
which  conducts  the 
traveler  from  the  museum  to  the  sacred  precinct 
of  the  Altis,  we  note  the  newly  upturned  soil  of  the 
plowed  field,  and  one  of  our  party,  taking  the  plow 
from  the  surprised  peasant,  attempted  to  cut  a  fur- 
row with  the  crude  implement  which  is  merely 
a  crooked  stick  sharpened  at  the  point  where  two 
branches  divide  from  the  main  stock.  It  is  the 
same  rude  plow  that  was  used  in   Homer's  day. 

Crossing  the  little  river  Kladcos,  we  come  to  the 
famous  spot  which,  centuries  ago,  was  the  meeting 


Plowing  Scene 
From  a  Greek  vase  painting 


24 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


place  for  all  Greece.  Impressive  in  their  solitude, 
imposing  in  their  prostrate  helplessness,  lie  the 
hoary  colmnns  of  the  old  Temple  of  Hera,  drums 
and  capitals  from  the  Temple  of  Zeus,  great  stones 
of  wall,  stylobate,  and  altar,  carved  monoliths  of 
massive    proportions,    portions    of    architrave    and 


Temple  of  Hera  and  Kronos  Hill 

pediment,  —  a  solemn  mass  of  gray,  low-toned  stone 
among  which  w^e  wander  at  wall,  noting  a  rare  bit 
of  sculptured  fragment  or  an  exquisite  flower  whose 
bloom  softens  the  rugged  outlines  and  crumbling 
surface  of  stone.  All  is  solitary,  deserted,  silent, 
save  for  the  hushed  voices  of  our  own  party  or 
the  occasional  song  of  a  bird  hidden  among  the 
pines  of  old   Kronos. 


INTRODUCTION  25 

The  river  Alpheios  bounds  the  plain  on  the 
north  with  its  silver  ribbon ;  at  our  feet  flows  the 
little  Kladeos,  now  but  a  gentle  stream,  but  which 
at  times  becomes  an  angry  torrent,  as  one  can  see 
from  its  deeply  carved  banks. 

It  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  identify  the  various 
buildings,  each  of  which  has  more  or  less  of  its 
foundation  stones  still  in  place.  But  it  is  difficult 
to  imaginatively  reconstruct  the  whole,  no  matter 
how  familiar  one  may  be  with  the  vivid  descrip- 
tions of  Pausanias,  with  the  frequent  references 
by  Greek  authors,  or  with  the  modern  writings  of 
German  archaeologists ;  for,  after  all,  it  is  the  life, 
the  eager,  restless,  brilliant  throng  which  filled 
temple  and  grove,  gymnasia  and  stadium,  that 
made  Olympia  what  it  was.  Of  all  that  brilliant, 
active  multitude  we  saw  nothing,  no  one,  save  one 
solitary  Greek,  the  guardian  of  the  place,  in  whom 
was  summed  up  all  that  history  and  tradition  have 
to  give  of  past  glory  and  renown. 

At  length,  reluctantly,  we  left  the  charmed  spot 
as  the  fast-closing  twilight  shut  in  the  little  val- 
ley, and,  turning  for  a  last  lingering  glimpse,  we 
saw  the  solitary  figure  of  the  Greek  standing  mo- 
tionless as  a  statue  on  one  of  the  great  blocks  of 


26  THE   CxREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

stone  by  the  Temple  of  Zeus,  his  figure  sharply  sil- 
houetted against  the  clear  evening  sky,  a  pathetic 
symbol  of  Greece,  whose  glorious  past  shines  only 
in  the  golden  halo  which  literature  and  art  throw 
about  her. 

Going  up  the  road  to  our  hotel,  we  passed  a 
group  of  peasants  returning  from  their  day's  labor 
in  the  fields.  One  played  the  pipes,  another  danced 
to  his  music  in  a  clumsy,  jovial  manner,  suggesting 
Silenos,  and  the  little  procession  passed  on,  for  all 
the  world  like  a  bit  of  Theokritan  poetry. 

We  were  sung  to  sleep  that  night  by  the 
mournful  minor  music  of  a  band  of  peasants  in  a 
small  tavern  opposite,  who  chanted  through  the 
long  evening  hours  strange  bits  of  song  which 
seemed  to  come  from  a  far-away  world  of  poetry 
and  romance,  —  the  accent  marked  occasionally  by 
the  hoarse  croaking  of  one  of  Aristophanes'  frogs, 
who  lived  in  the  marsh  near  by,  and  punctured  the 
night  with 

Brekeke-kesh,  koash, 

Brekeke-kesh,  koash, 

Brekeke-kesh,  koash, 

Brekeke-kesh,  koash, 

in  true  Aristophanean  style. 


INTRODUCTION  27 

Patras   to   Corinth 

The  journey  from  Olympia  to  Athens  by  way 
of  Patras  and  Corinth  can  be  accompHshed  in  one 
day,  provided  one  leaves  Olympia  at  an  early  hour 
in  the  morning.  The  road  from  Patras  onward 
skirts  the  Gulf  of  Corinth.  This  is  the  real  gate- 
way of  Greece.  It  forms  "a  majestic  portal  to  the 
whole  land.  .  .  .  The  bay  of  Patras  spreads  out 
like  a  magnificent  vestibule  between  the  frowning 
headlands  of  Akarnania  on  the  north  and  Mount 
Erymanthos  on  the  south.  Two  mountains  of 
pyramidal  shape,  Vavassova  and  Taphiassos,  rise 
directly  from  the  sea  and  stand  like  vast  sentinels 
on  the  y^tolian  coast,  giving  a  somber  impression 
and  shadowing  the  sea  as  if  Greece  were  not  to  be 
approached  trivially  and  was  '  no  land  of  lightsome 
mirth.' " 

So  writes  a  recent  traveler  to  Greece,  and  as 
one  is  hurried  along  this  wonderful  coast  journey 
the  impression  is  deepened.  On  the  right  rise 
vine-clad  hills  and  heavily  wooded  slopes,  sepa- 
rated at  times  by  white  rushing  torrents,  pale  in 
their  frantic  haste  to  reach  the  sea.  Or,  again, 
this    wild    scenery    changes:    the    land    recedes    in 


28  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

fertile,  level  plains  on  which  are  dotted  here  and 
there  houses  of  pale  lavender  or  white  amid  vine- 
yards, olive  groves,  or  clustering  fruit  trees  in  the 
full  perfection  of  bloom. 

Beyond  them  spread  broadly  the  sparkling  waters 
of  the  Corinthian  Gulf,  a  wide  sea  of  varied  blues, 
—  turquoise,  ultramarine,  cerulean,  often  streaked  in 
the  shallower  portions  near  the  shore  with  bands 
of  vivid  greens  and  in  the  distance  with  violets 
and  purples,  deep  wine  colors,  most  harmonious  to 
the  eye. 

And  all  this  is  but  like  a  many-colored  prayer 
rug  spread  at  the  feet  of  the  loveliest  mountains 
to  be  found  this  side  of  the  Elysian  fields.  These 
mountains  are  bold  masses  of  bare  rock  which, 
in  the  light,  are  veiled  in  delicate  pearly  tones 
of  pink,  amethyst,  and  warm  lavender.  In  shadow 
they  assume  blue,  pale  violet,  and  deep  purple  hues. 
Back  from  their  base  rise  the  lofty  twin  peaks  of 
Parnassos,  smiling  in  the  region  of  eternal  snow 
and  shot  with  the  golden  arrows  of  the  sun  god 
Apollo,  who  dwelt  on  this  "mount  of  song,"  and 
who  symbolized  not  only  heaven-given  light  but 
all  that  was  brilliant,  joyous,  "  terrible  in  its  bright- 
ness" in  the  Greek  mind. 


INTRODUCTION 


29 


Delphi 


Delphi  lies  high  among  these  rocky  passes.  It 
was  here  that  the  Delphic  oracle,  dedicated  to 
Apollo,  gave  voice  to  mysterious  prophetic  utter- 
ances.    "  The  grandeur  of  the  scenery,  the  ice-cold 


Delphi 

springs,  and  the  currents  of  air  streaming  from  the 
gorges  of  the  mountains  filled  men  with  a  mys- 
terious awe  from  the  earliest  times,  and  seemed  to 
invite  the  foundations  of  a  temple."  This  oracle 
was  consulted  in  all  affairs  of  importance,  national 
as  well  as  local. 


2,0  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Delphi  was  supposed  to  be  the  home  of  the  fierce 
dragon  Pytho,  whom  Apollo  "  the  far-darting  "  slew. 
In  honor  of  this  deed  were  celebrated  every  four 
years  the  Pythian  Games.  Here,  too,  the  Amphik- 
tyonic  Council  met  twice  a  year.  On  the  walls  of 
the  Assembly  Room,  Pausanias  tells  us,  Polygnotos^ 
had  painted  scenes  from  the  Trojan  War.  These 
paintings  he  describes  most  elaborately,  giving  them 
praise  with  such  emphasis  that  we  infer  the  high 
place  they  must  have  held  in  the  estimation  of  the 
Greeks. 

In  Roman  times  the  treasuries  of  Delphi  were 
rifled  and  their  valuable  collections  despoiled  for 
payment  to  the  Roman  soldiers.  Nero  is  said  to 
have  carried  off  five  hundred  statues  from  the 
temple.  Pliny  says  that  in  his  time  there  were 
still  "three  thousand  statues  at  Delphi,  and  even 
in  the  time  of  Pausanias  the  precinct  resembled 
a  vast  museum." 

The  French  government  is  now  conducting  ex- 
cavations which  have  led  to  many  valuable  dis- 
coveries, especially  in  the  line  of  inscriptions.  Here 
was  found  that  fine  Hymn  to  Apollo,  including  the 
ancient  musical  notation  which  in  ancient  days  was 

1  See  Chapter  I,  Polygnotos. 


INTRODUCTION  3 1 

chanted  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  lyre  by  the 
chorus  of  musicians  sent  from  Athens.  It  is  a 
thanksgiving  hymn  dedicated  to  the  god  of  har- 
mony, music  and  art,  and  ends  with  the  invocation: 
"  Come  to  the  twin  heights  of  beethng  Parnassos 
that  looks  afar,  and  inspire  my  songs,  ye  Muses  who 
dwell  in  the  snow-heaten  crags  of  Helikon.  Sing 
of  the  Python,  God  of  golden  hair,  Phoebus,  with 
tuneful  lyre,  whom  blessed  Leto  bore  beside  the 
famous  water.  .  .  .  And  the  vault  of  heaven  was 
glad  and  radiant  with  unclouded  light;  the  aether 
stilled  the  swift  course  of  the  wind  to  calm,  while 
the  deep  sound  of  the  furious  billows  sank  to  rest, 
and  mighty  Oceanos,  who  with  his  moist  arms 
clasps  the  earth  around.  .  .  .  Advance,  then, 
warder  of  the  oracular  tripod,  to  the  summit  of 
Parnassos,  trod  by  the  gods,  dear  to  the  Moenads 
in  their  ecstasies.  .  .  .  Now,  O  Phoebus,  save  and 
guard  the  city  founded  by  Pallas,  and  her  famous 
people,  and  thou,  too,  goddess  of  the  bow  and 
mistress  of  the  Cretan  hounds,  and  thou  Leto, 
most  revered !  Guard  ye  the  dwellers  of  Delphi, 
their  children,  their  wives,  and  their  homes  free 
from  woe.  Be  favorable  to  the  servants  of  Diony- 
sos,  crowned  with  the  honors  of  the  games ! " 


32  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Corinth 

At  Corinth  the  road  divides,  one  branch  running 
down  through  the  interior  to  NaupHa,  the  main 
line  going  on  to  Athens.  Corinth  itself  is  a  small 
modern  town  of  no  special  interest.  The  ancient 
city  lay  a  few  miles  back  at  the  foot  of  Akro- 
Corinth,  a  high  mountain  of  massive  rock  rising 
eighteen  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  which  was  fortified 
by  the  Venetians  and  used  by  them  as  a  citadel 
during  their  occupation  of  Greece.  All  that  is 
left  of  the  old  town  is  a  small  group  of  houses 
clustered  around  a  little  open  square,  w-hich,  when 
we  approached,  was  filled  with  a  mixed  gathering 
of  Greeks  and  Albanians  dressed  in  varied  cos- 
tumes, leading  horses  whose  trappings  were  equally 
varied,  with  ropes  for  bridle  and  stirrups,  and  blan- 
kets for  saddles.  Here  we  left  our  carriages  and 
through  our  dragoman  bargained  for  horses  amid 
much  confusion  of  tongues. 

Our  leader,  w^hom  we  had  surnamed  Apollo, 
being  somewhat  godlike  in  appearance,  rode  a 
small  white  horse  w^iich  was  led  by  a  Greek 
woman  in  picturesque  costume  of  white ;  and  the 
rest  of  our  party,  following  his  example,  mounted 


INTRODUCTION 


33 


whatever  offered  itself.  Leaving  the  village,  with 
its  houses  of  sun-dried  brick  and  the  generous 
plane  tree  whose  broad  branches  shaded  the  village 


Temple  of  Corinth 


square,  we  soon  reached  the  Temple  of  Corinth. 
From  this  old  temple,  whose  massive  columns  give 
one  an  excellent  idea  of  the  earliest  style  of  Doric 


34  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

architecture,  one  can  reach  far  back  into  the  dim 
regions  of  the  past,  back  to  the  middle  of  the 
seventh  century  before  Christ.  Seven  monohthic 
columns  of  exceedingly  heavy  proportions  support 
that  portion  of  the  entablature  which  still  remains. 
The  whole  effect  is  that  of  hoary  antiquity,  its 
solemn  impressiveness  only  enhanced  by  the  coat- 
ing of  warm  reddish-yellow  stucco  which  covers 
the  foundation  limestone.  A  brilliant  sun  shining 
down  out  of  a  clear  sky  of  intensest  blue  cast  deep 
violet  shadows  upon  the  whitish-yellow  clayey  soil. 
Into  these  shadows  we  would  like  to  creep  and 
ponder  the  meaning  of  the  lapse  of  time. 

It  is  at  old  Corinth  that  the  American  School  of 
Archaeology  is  doing  some  of  its  most  success- 
ful work.  Recent  excavations  have  revealed  the 
ancient  market  place,  and  gradually  the  ancient 
city  itself  is  coming  to  light.  Perhaps  the  very 
dust  which  we  touch  as  we  descend  into  those 
underground  tunnelings  may  once  have  been  trod 
by  the  apostle  Paul,  and  these  very  walls  may 
have  echoed  to  the  stirring  words  of  his  epic 
against  the  "pleasure-loving"  Corinthians;  for 
Corinth,  as  he  knew  it,  was  the  center  of  "  frivolous 
and  luxurious  materialism." 


INTRODUCTION 


35 


Akro-Corinth 


The  climb  up  the  mountain  is  somewhat  peril- 
ous but  rewards  any  amount  of  exertion.  As  we 
ascend,  the  country  below  spreads  out  like  a  bril- 
liant mosaic.     Crimson  poppies  spot  the  fields  in 


Corinth,  showing  Akko-Cokinth 

flaming  patches  of  color,  and  grayish-green  olive 
orchards  balance  them  in  subdued  neutrals.  Far 
to  the  horizon  the  blue  sea  melts  by  subtle  grada- 
tions of  pearly  and  opalescent  tints  into  the  trans- 
lucent blue  of  the  sky  which  carries  the  eye  upward 
to  still  deeper  notes. 


36  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  top  we  dis- 
mount and,  passing  through  the  massive  gateway 
of  the  citadel's  fortifications,  climb  over  rough  rocks 
and  steep  inclines,  which  are  strewn  here  and  there 
with  remains  of  massive  walls  and  buildings  that 
tell  of  former  Venetian  occupancy. 

From  the  summit  the  view  is  a  magnificent 
panorama  extending  on  all  sides  in  uninterrupted 
sweep.  On  the  south  stand  the  mountains  of 
Argolis;  to  the  west  is  the  lofty  Arcadian  chain 
with  snow-capped  Kyllene  and  its  fertile  plain 
extending  to  Sikyon.  To  the  north  spread  the 
blue  waters  of  the  Corinthian  Gulf,  forming  but  a 
prelude  to  the  rugged  ranges  of  Boeotia,  Phokis, 
Lokris,  and  yEtolia,  with  snow-capped  Parnassos 
topping  their  summits  in  shining  glory.  On  the 
east  is  the  Saronic  Gulf,  with  Salamis,  ^gina,  and 
the  smaller  islands  spotting  the  blue  like  sleeping 
sea  monsters.  In  clear  weather  Athens  can  be 
seen,  —  even  the  Akropolis  with  the  Parthenon, 
and  the  white  walls  of  the  royal  palace  outlined 
against  the  rugged  slopes  of  Lykabettos,  the  quar- 
ried marble  beds  of  Pentelikon,  and  the  long 
sloping  honey-famed  Hymettos.  I  must  frankly 
confess  that  it  took  a  true  Greek  imagination  to 


INTRODUCTION  ^^ 

see  these  last  details,  but  where  should  one  have 
nnagination  if  not  in  the  sunny  land  of  Greece  ? 

On  our  descent  we  passed  the  famous  spring  of 
Pirene  which  is  said  to  have  gushed  forth  at  the 
stroke  of  the  hoof  of  Pegasos.  Here  the  water  is 
pure,  delicious,  and  so  clear  that  at  first  glance  it 
is  difificult  to  judge  of  its  depths  in  the  mysterious 
dimness.  It  is  not  strange  that,  heated  with  his 
heavenly  flights,  Pegasos  often  came  thither  to 
drink.  We,  too,  drank,  and  poured  out  a  libation 
to  the  gods,  perhaps  inwardly  praying  Plato's 
prayer:  "  Beloved  Pan,  and  all  ye  other  gods  who 
haunt  this  place,  give  me  beauty  in  the  inward 
soul,  and  may  the  outward  and  inward  man  be  at 
one.  May  I  reckon  the  wise  to  be  wealthy,  and 
may  I  have  such  a  quantity  of  gold  as  a  temper- 
ate man  and  he  only  can  bear  and  carry."  We 
searched  the  heavens  for  an  omen,  but  the  white 
wings  of  Pegasos  failed  to  appear;  only  an  eagle 
flew  out  from  the  rocky  cliff,  wheeling  higher  and 
ever  higher  out  over  the  sea  and,  melting  at  last 
into  the  blue  heavens  above,  vanished  out  of  the 
pale  of  human  sight.  Perhaps,  perhaps,  a  greater 
than  Pan,  a  greater  than  Zeus,  received  our 
prayer. 


38 


THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


Nauplia 

From  Corinth  we  went  by  rail  to  the  beautiful 
trading  town  of  Nauplia  at  the  head  of  the  Argolic 
Gulf.  This  place  would  charm  one  into  a  stay 
of   many  days,  —  being    somewhat    modern    as    to 


Nauplia,  with  Palamidi  in  the  Distance 

buildings  and  cleanliness,  although  I  remember  it 
mainly  for  its  fine  harbor  dotted  with  little  boats, 
its  majestic  frowning  fortress,  Palamidi,  rising 
superbly  behind  the  town,  and  for  a  certain  gar- 
den of  deep  crimson  roses  gayly  climbing  a  yellow 
stucco  wall  in  sheer  abandonment  of  joy,  —  were 
it  not  that  the  traveler  is  impatient  to  proceed  to 
the  more  classic  ground  of  ancient  Tiryns,  Argos, 


INTRODUCTION 


39 


Myken^,  and  Epidauros.     These  places  can  easily 
be  reached  from  Nauplia  by  carriage  drive. 


TiRYNS 


Tiryns  is  near,  lying  not  far  from  the  high  road, 
a  rock  hill  which   rises  about  fifty  feet  above  the 


Tiryns  :  the  Citadel  Wall 

plain  of  Argolis,  surrounded  by  Cyclopean  walls 
of  gigantic  unhewn  blocks  of  stone  piled  one  upon 
another  as  only  Titans  could  have  piled  them. 
This  confirms,  even  in  our  own  day,  Homer's 
appellation  of  "  wall-girt  Tiryns."  Originally  this 
wall  may  have  been  between  sixty  and  seventy 
feet  high,  with  an  average  thickness  of  twenty-six 
feet.     It   was    built    to   protect    the    rocky    citadel, 


40  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

on  the  flat  top  of  wliich  may  still  be  seen  the  out- 
lines of  the  ancient  palace  which  dates  back  to 
Homeric  days. 

We  are  indebted  to  Dr.  Schliemann  and  Dr. 
Dorpfeld  for  the  excavations  which,  in  1884- 1885, 
revealed  the  construction  and  arrangement  of  the 
rooms  of  the  palace.^  It  is  certainly  impressive  to 
walk  over  those  pavements  which  mark  the  various 
rooms  and  to  see  the  square  between  the  four  pil- 
lars where  was  the  open  fireplace  around  which 
gathered  the  chieftain  and  his  band.  Here,  too, 
is  a  room  devoted  to  the  bath,  which  with  its  pol- 
ished limestone  floor,  certainly  tells  of  a  civilization 
far  removed  from  barbarism.  Near  the  floor,  on  a 
part  of  the  ancient  .wall  which  still  remains,  are  bits 
of  an  alabaster  lining  such  as  Homer  describes. 

It  brings  one  close  to  the  actual  past  when  one 
can  see  and  touch  the  remains  of  a  civilization 
which,  three  thousand  or  more  years  ago,  flour- 
ished in  all  its  splendid  vigor  on  this  same  spot. 
One  recalls  the  picture  which  Homer  gives  in 
the  Odyssey :  "  But  Odysseus  went  to  the  illus- 
trious dwelling  of  Alkinoos ;  and  his  heart  medi- 
tated many  things  as  he  stood  before   he  arrived 

1  For  detailed  account  see  Schliemann's  Mykenae  and  Tiryns. 


TiRYNS :  Gallery  in  the  South  Wall 
41 


42  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

at  the  brazen  threshold;  for  it  was  as  the  shin- 
ing of  the  sun  or  moon  through  the  lofty-roofed 
house  of  strong-hearted  Alkinoos.  For  brazen  walls 
were  firmly  built  each  way,  to  the  recess  from  the 
threshold,  and  around  it  a  cornice  of  blue  color; 
and  golden  doors  inclosed  the  firm  house  within ; 
and  silver  pillars  stood  on  the  brazen  threshold ;  and 
there  was  a  silver  lintel  over  it,  and  a  glorious 
ring.  And  on  each  side  there  were  golden  and 
silver  dogs,  which  Hephaistos  made  with  his  skill- 
ful mind,  to  guard  the  house  of  magnanimous 
Alkinoos,  being  immortal  and  free  from  old  age 
all  their  days. 

"  But  within  thrones  were  firmly  set,  here  and 
there,  around  the  wall  throughout ;  from  the  thresh- 
old to  the  recess  there  were  thrown  over  them 
slender,  well-woven  mantles,  the  works  of  women. 
Here  the  leaders  of  the  Phoeakians  sat  drinkinp; 
and  eating;  for  they  held  it  all  the  year.  But 
golden  youths  stood  upon  the  well-built  pedestals, 
holding  in  their  hands  burning  torches,  which 
shone  during  the  night  to  the  banqueters  through 
the  house.  .  .  .  As  much  as  the  Phaeakians  are 
skilled  above  all  men  to  guide  a  swift  ship  in  the 
sea,  so  are  the   women  in   weaving  the  web;  for 


INTRODUCTION  43 

Athena  granted  them  exceedingly  to  be  acquainted 
with  beautiful  works  and  endowed  them  with  a 
good  understanding."^  Or  again,  "And  they,  behold- 
ing, marveled  at  the  house  of  the  Zeus-nurtured 
king.  For  there  was  a  splendor  like  as  of  the 
sun  and  the  moon  through  the  lofty-roofed  house 
of  glorious  Menelaos.  But  when  beholding  with 
their  eyes  they  were  satisfied;  going  to  the  well- 
polished  baths  they  washed  themselves.  When, 
therefore,  the  servants  had  washed  them  and 
anointed  them  with  oil,  and  had  also  thrown 
woolen  cloaks  and  garments  around  them,  they 
set  them  on  thrones  near  Menelaos,  the  son  of 
Atreus.  And  a  handmaid,  bringing  water  in  a 
beautiful  golden  ewer,  poured  it  over  a  silver 
caldron  to  wash  in ;  and  she  spread  a  polished 
table  near  at  hand,  .  .  .  and  the  waiter,  lifting  up 
dishes  of  all  kinds  of  flesh,  placed  them  near,  and 
set  near  them  golden  cups."^ 

MyKEN/E 

Homer's  mention  of  the  golden  cups  brings 
us  at  once  to  the  wonderful  discoveries  made 
at   Mykence  by   Dr.  Schliemann,  and  later  by  the 

1  Odyssey,  VII,  So-ioS.  ^  Odyssey,  IV,  45-61. 


44  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Greek  Archeeological  Society  of  Athens.  Mykenas 
was  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Perseus,  who, 
with  the  help  of  the  Cyclops  from  Lykia  in  Asia 
Minor,  built  its  massive  walls.  Here  ruled  the 
great  lord  Agamemnon,  son  of  Atreus,  whose  pal- 
ace was  on  this  citadel.  He  was  not  only  prince 
of  the  district,  but  "  chief  and  leader  of  all  the 
Greeks  of  the  mainland  and  islands,  at  whose  head 
he  sailed  against  Troy." 

The  road  to  Mykenae  lies  across  the  level  plains 
of  Argolis  which,  when  we  saw  them,  were  covered 
with  fields  of  waving  grain.  These  plains  were  the 
scene  of  the  second  labor  of  Herakles,  the  slaying 
of  the  Hydra,  or  nine-headed  monster,  who  ravaged 
the  "  horse-pasturing  "  country  of  Argos. 

*  Argos 

Argos  was  the  birthplace  of  the  great  sculptor 
Polykleitos,  whose  chryselephantine  statue  of  Hera 
was,  by  ancient  critics,  thought  to  mark  an  advance 
on  the  "  technical  skill  with  which  Pheidias  had 
previously  employed  gold  and  ivory  on  the  famous 
Athena  Parthenos."  Near  the  ancient  town  was 
the  Heraion,  the  national  sanctuary  of  Argolis. 
It  is  here  that  the  American  School  has,  during 


INTRODUCTION  45 

recent   excavations,    laid    bare    the   foundations    of 
the  temple. 

It  was  at  this  Temple  of  Hera,  if  we  may  believe 
tradition,  that  the  various  chief  men  of  the  country 
met  to  swear  allegiance  to  Agamemnon  before  set- 
ting out  for  Troy.  And  here,  we  may  therefore  say, 
lies  the  first  scene  of  the  Trojan  War. 

After  leaving  Argos  the  country  became  hilly, 
and  finally,  on  our  right,  rose  sharply  the  steep, 
rocky  akropolis  of  Mykenae.  It  is  an  impressive 
spot,  desolate  in  its  rugged  isolation.  The  little 
stream  Perseia  still  flows  at  its  base,  its  course 
marked  by  small  shrubs  and  strangely  beautiful 
flowers.  Near  the  road  are  several  tombs,  shaped 
like  beehives  and  formerly  called  treasuries,  which 
are  cut  into  the  green  hillside.  The  masonry  of 
the  curving  dome  in  the  one  called  the  Treasury 
of  Atreus  is  in  an  almost  perfect  state  of  pres- 
ervation. A  small  chamber  leads  from  the  main 
circular  room  wherein  probably  the  body  was  de- 
posited, and  in  one  of  the  tombs,  possibly,  the  body 
of  Klytaimnestra  may  have  lain,  doomed  to  burial 
outside  the  city  walls. 


46 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


But  their  emptiness  now  is  somewhat  oppressive 
and  we  prefer  to  return  to  the  bright  sunshine  out- 
side.     We  cUmb  the  hill  and  turn   into  the  long 


Lion  Gate 


narrow  passage  leading  to  the  citadel.  On  either 
side  rise  walls  made  of  huge  blocks  of  stone,  which 
only  Cyclopean  hands  could  have  handled,  and  be- 
fore us  stands  still  firm  and  strong  the  Lion  Gate, 


INTRODUCTION 


47 


the  earliest  known  sculpture  in  Greece.  Pausanias 
says:  "Some  remains  of  the  circuit  wall  arc  still  to 
be  seen,  and  the  gate  with  lions  over  it.  These 
were  built,  they  say,  by  the  Cyclops,  who  made  the 
wall  of  Tiryns  for  Proitos." 

Within  the  citadel  one  can  see  the  five  empty 
graves   in  which   Dr.  Schliemann  discovered   such 


Mm 


Myken^  :  The  Citadel 


In   the   third   grave   were 


rich  treasures  of  gold, 
found,  besides  a  number  of  ornaments  of  gold,  a 
large  golden  diadem  which  was  bound  about  the 
head  of  the  skeleton.     Was  this,   could   this  have 


48  THE   GREEK    PAINTERS'  ART 

been  the  body  and  burial  place  of  Agamemnon? 
And  were  the  other  graves  those  of  his  compan- 
ions? Here  archaeologists  differ.  I  can  only  refer 
you  to  them  for  an  answer.  At  any  rate  the 
"pendants,  brooches,  necklaces,  buttons,  whorls, 
rings,  ivories,  and  crystals  "  found  in  these  graves 
prove  the  phrase  used  by  Homer  in  the  Odyssey, 
"  Mykenae,  rich  in  gold." 

These  precious  relics,  and  many  more,  have  been 
taken  to  the  National  Museum  in  Athens,  where 
one  may  see  and  study  at  leisure,  in  a  room  spe- 
cially reserved  for  them,  the  many  exquisite  exam- 
ples of  the  goldsmith's  skill  of  this  far-away,  highly 
developed  Homeric  civilization.  Of  these  objects, 
the  gold  cups  from  Vaphio,  near  Sparta,  and  from 
Mykenae  show  a  marvelous  degree  of  knowledge  of 
the  human  and  animal  forms.  Of  them  Dr.  Dorp- 
feld  writes :  "  The  cups  are  of  pure  gold,  of  riveted 
w^ork,  but  with  designs  in  repousse,  which  for  origi- 
nality of  design  and  delicacy  of  execution  are  un- 
rivaled except  perhaps  by  the  finest  goldsmith's 
work  of  the  Italian  Renaissance."  Was  it  from 
such  cups  as  these  that  Odysseus  drank  with  his 
friends  in  the  palace  of  Alkinoos  which  Homer 
describes  so  graphically? 


Gold  Cups  from  Vaphio 
49 


50  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

Epidauros 

Still  another  center  of  interest  may  be  reached 
without  difficulty  from  Nauplia  —  that  of  Epi- 
dauros, the  seat  of  the  ancient  cult  of  Asklepios 
the  gentle  god  of  healing.  After  leaving  Nauplia 
the  road  winds  among  rugged  hills  and  barren 
valleys, — a  deserted,  wild,  inhospitable  spot;  but 
later  it  climbs  higher,  journeying  eastward  toward 
the  sea,  the  wastes  are  exchanged  for  a  more 
fertile  country,  and  at  last  Epidauros,  nestling  in 
a  lovely  hill-encircled  valley,  smiles  at  us  almost 
as  she  once  smiled  to  those  weary  pilgrims  who 
long  ago  journeyed  with  eager  hope  to  her  sacred 
walls.  For  it  was  to  this  healthful  spot  that  from 
all  parts  of  Greece  came  the  sick  and  miserable  to 
be  healed  of  their  bodily  and  mental  ills.-^ 

Asklepios  was  the  son  of  the  god  Apollo  and  a 
mortal  mother,  Arsinoe,  a  princess  from  Thessaly. 
In  his  youth  he  was  given  to  the  care  of  Charon, 
the  famous  kentaur,  by  whom  he  was  instructed 
in  the  arts  of  hunting,  medicine,  music,  and  proph- 
ecy. When  he  reached  maturity  he  became  a 
physician   so   skilled    in   his   art   that  he   was   said 

^  For  an  interesting  account  of  Epidauros  see  New  Chapters  in  Greek 
History,  by  Percy  Gardner. 


INTRODUCTION  5 1 

to  restore  even  the  dead  to  life.  For  this  he  was 
put  to  death  by  Zeus  at  the  request  of  Hades 
(Pkito),  after  which  he  was  numbered  among  the 
gods,  —  a  late  but  sure  consolation. 

It  was  here,  therefore,  in  this  sunny  valley,  apart 
from  the  bustle  and  stir  of  city  life,  that  there  grew 
up  this  cult  of  Asklepios,  which,  as  was  natural, 
soon  made  Epidauros  blossom  in  lovely  temple, 
sacred  shrine,  in  splendid  hall,  rare  portico,  and 
chaste  sanctuary.  Of  this  group  of  buildings  in 
the  Hieron  or  Sacred  Inclosure  enough  is  still 
left  for  us  to  construct  in  imagination  the  whole, 
since  the  extensive  excavations  in  modern  times 
have  revealed  the  sites  of  these  shrines  as  well  as 
many  beautiful  details  of  sculptured  column,  capital, 
and  votive  offering  which  are  now  in  the  National 
Museum  in  Athens. 

The  Hieron  of  Epidauros  was  a  group  of  build- 
ings  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  god  and  built 
for  the  housing  of  priests  and  physicians,  with 
hospitals  for  the  multitudes  who  came  thither. 
First  in  importance  was  the  temple,  the  sanctuary  of 
Asklepios,  beyond  which  can  still  be  seen  the  ruins 
of  two  colonnades.  Near  the  temple  are  the  tholos 
of    Polykleitos,   the    stadion,  and    the    gymnasium. 


52 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Many  springs  in  the  neighborhood  gave  an  abun- 
dance of  cold  pure  water,  its  use  evidently  forming 
an  important  part  of  the  treatment  prescribed  by 
the  priest  for  the  sick. 

Upon  his  arrival,  and  after  having  offered  sacri- 
fices to  Asklepios  upon  the  sacred  altar  with  the 


Theater,  with  Sacred  Inxlosure  at  the  Right 

customary  rites,  the  patient  "  lay  down  in  one  of 
the  splendid  porticoes  of  the  temple  and  was 
hushed  to  sleep  by  the  temple  attendants  through 
all  the  'holy  night,'  in  whose  still  hours,  under  the 
golden  stars  raining  their  happy  influences,  it  was 


INTRODUCTION 


53 


hoped  and  believed  he  would  be  visited  in  his 
dreams  by  the  kindly  god  himself,  who  would  tell 
him  what  to  do  for  his  recovery." 


ASKLEPIOS 

From  a  recently  discovered  inscription  which 
gives  a  cure  for  dyspepsia,  we  may  infer  some- 
thing of  the  good,  solid  common  sense  of  the  pre- 
scriptions given  by  these  priest  physicians.  I  quote 
from  an   English  translation  :  "  Never  to  give  way 


54  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

to  anger;  to  submit  to  a  special  diet  of  bread  and 
cheese,  of  parsley  and  lettuce,  of  lemon  boiled  in 
water,  and  milk  with  honey  in  it ;  to  run  in  the 
gymnasium,  to  swing  on  the  upper  walk  of  the 
sanctuary,  to  rub  the  body  with  sand,  to  walk 
barefoot  before  bathing,  to  take  a  warm  bath  with 
wine  in  it,  to  rub  one's  self  with  salt  and  mustard, 
to  gargle  the  throat  and  tonsils  with  cold  water, 
and,  finally,  —  and  this  is  all  important,  —  to  sacri- 
fice to  Asklepios  and  not  to  forget  to  pay  the 
prescribed  fees."  This  treatment  was  to  be  tried 
for  nine  clays.  If  no  cure  resulted,  the  patient  was 
not  required  to  pay  nor  was  he  permitted  to  die 
on  the  sacred  ground. 

The  buildings  of  this  sacred  enclosure  were  rich 
in  sculpture.  The  statue  of  the  god,  now  in  the 
National  Museum,  shows  a  mild,  humane  counte- 
nance, not  unlike  the  head  of  Zeus  himself,  only 
more  benign,  more  approachable.  The  pediments 
of  the  temple  were  richly  ornamented  with  sculpture, 
representing  on  the  east  a  Battle  between  Kentaurs, 
on  the  west  a  fight  between  the  Greeks  and  Ama- 
zons. There  were  also  figures  of  Nereids  and 
Victories.  A  figure  of  an  Amazon  astride  a  horse, 
now   in    the    National    Museum    in    Athens,    can 


INTRODUCTION  55 

scarcely  be  surpassed  for  vigorous  movement  and 
masterly  style. 

The  tholos  by  Polykleitos  near  tlie  temple  was 
a  circular  structure  one  hundred  and  seven  feet  in 
diameter.  Upon  the  substructure  rested  two  con- 
centric rings  of  columns  of  Doric  and  Corin- 
thian orders.  Of  these  one  capital  now  in  Athens 
is  a  "masterpiece  of  architectural  carving." 

The  Epidaurian  theater,  which  served  as  the 
center  of  dramatic  life,  is  farther  up  on  the  spur 
of  Mount  Kynostion.  Even  Pausanias  was  so 
moved  by  its  perfection  that  he  writes :  "  Roman 
theaters  may  be  finer,  and  those  of  latter  days  in 
Greece  may  be  larger,  but  the  Epidaurian  theater 
is  peerless  for  harmony  of  proportion  and  charm 
of  aspect."  This  theater,  constructed  by  Polykleitos, 
is  in  an  almost  perfect  state  of  preservation  at  the 
present  time.     It  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Greece. 

Journey  to  Athens 

From  Epidauros  one  may  go  to  Athens  by  water, 
crossing  the  Saronic  Gulf,  passing  south  of  Salamis, 
and  landing  at  the  Pira^ais.  By  such  a  route  one 
may  perhaps  be  saved  the  strain  of  railroad  travel, 
but  he  then  misses  the  glory  of  that  fine  coast-line 


56  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

journey  from  Corinth,  which,  crossing  the  new 
canal,  —  which  cuts  off  the  Peloponnesus  from  the 
mainland  of  Europe  at  this  point, — skirts  the  coast 
for  miles.  Sometimes  from  rocky  headlands  he 
may  look  down  into  turquoise  depths  below,  or 
far  out  over  the  azure  blue  he  may  see,  dotted 
here  and  there,  islands  of  tenderest  hue,  veiled  in 
the  mellow  atmosphere  of  late  afternoon,  or,  nearer, 
bold  rocky  spurs  which  jut  out  from  rugged  island 
monsters  like  scales  from  a  sleeping  dragon. 

And  above  all  sail  serene  billowy  clouds  which 
gather  only  to  enhance  the  light  and  brilliant 
purity  of  the  sky,  air,  and  sea,  and  which  later 
unite  to  form  the  portal  of  a  glorious  sunset.  We 
approach  Athens  as  the  coming  twilight  enfolds 
in  its  gentle  care  that  city  of  the  past  where 
heroes  fought  and  died,  where  great  and  wise 
men  lived,  where  Plato  taught  and  Paul  preached, 
where  poet,  philosopher,  and  artist  thought,  dreamed, 
and  worked,  and  where  art  blossomed  in  its  most 
perfect  forms  of  expression  in  warmly  toned  marble 
under  the  protecting  care  of  the  patron  goddess 
Athena.  Silence  fell,  voices  were  hushed,  as  we 
—  seven  eager  expectant  guests  of  that  hospitable 
land  —  neared  the  goal  of  our  long  journey.    Surely 


INTRODUCTION  57 

we  need  the  veil  of  twilight  for  entrance  there,  — 
blessed  twilight  that  covers  up  the  glaring  incon- 
gruities of  railroad  station  and  dusty  street.  Before 
we  try  to  see,  let  us  dream,  and,  calling  upon  the 
spirits  of  the  past,  bring  our  minds  into  harmony 
with  the  genius  of  Athens. 

Athens  :  the  Akropolis 

There  are  many  things  which  the  traveler  sees 
in  his  journeying  in  foreign  lands  wherein  lies  deep 
disappointment,  —  form,  color,  size,  appearance,  often 
fail  to  reach  his  expectation ;  not  so,  however,  the 
Akropolis  of  Athens,  which,  from  first  to  last, 
from  distance  or  nearer  view,  splendidly,  truth- 
fully, squarely,  confirms  all  that  poet  and  his- 
torian have  written.  And  more  —  never  can  any 
description,  verbal  or  written,  learned  or  impres- 
sionistic, give  one  more  than  a  faint  idea  of  the 
fair  and  lovely  color  of  that  splendid  rock  with  its 
noble  crest  of  buildings,  the  perfect  embodiment 
in  stone  of  an  ideal  beauty  made  real,  —  a  vision 
complete,  lovely,  satisfying  to   the  eye. 

And  never  for  a  moment  did  this  impression 
fail :  in  the  early  morning,  when  the  sun  god's 
quivering  shafts  sent  a  tremulous  light,  delicately 


58  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

touching  the  orange  notes  of  rock  and  the  paler 
gold  of  marble  into  evanescent  tones  of  amber,  saf- 
fron, and  pearly  grays  vibrating  with  shy  violets ; 
or  when,  ruggedly  splendid  in  the  full  glare  of  a 
brilliant  sun,  each  hand-wrought  beam,  architrave, 
shaft  and  capital  was  cut  out  in  shining  distinct- 
ness against  the  deep  blue  of  the  sky,  —  a  golden- 
white  silhouette  of  which  it  is  impossible  to  give  any 
adequate  idea  through  the  dull  medium  of  words; 
or  later,  when  under  the  quiet  purple  of  twilight,  or 
under  the  silver  shimmer  of  the  waning  moon,  its 
form  stood  serene,  self-poised,  all-sufficing,  —  under 
every  aspect  one  felt  a  sense  of  perfect  satisfaction 
which  left  no  room  for  questioning  or  desire. 

Nature  at  times  casts  about  the  senses  a  spell 
born  of  restful  completeness,  as  if  she  had  always 
been  thus  and  thus,  giving  no  hint  of  processes  or 
methods.  In  the  Akropolis  of  Athens  the  work  of 
man  supplements  that  of  nature,  but  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  all  seems  as  if  the  product  of  one  mind, 
one  creative  hand.  We  simply  cannot  conceive 
that  rock  without  its  crown  of  temples.  They 
belong  to  each  other  as  if  by  right  of  original 
creation.  Nor  do  even  the  shattered  columns  and 
broken  walls  detract  from  that  effect. 


INTRODUCTION 


59 


As  one  nears  the  summit,  the  Propylaia,  a  mag- 
nificent gateway  of  white  marble,  rises  majestically 
out  of  the  rugged  hillside  as  if,  perchance,  at  the 
utterance  of  some  magic  word  it  had  sprung  —  as 
did   Athena  of    old,   full-armed,  from   the   head   of 


Akkopolis 

Zeus  —  in  full  perfection  of  beauty,  from  the  rug- 
ged skull  of  the  giant  rock. 

In  imagination  one  walks  beside  the  white-robed 
maidens,  the  spirited  youths,  the  dignified  elders, 
the  serious  magistrates  who,  more  than  two  thou- 
sand years  ago,  slowly  ascended  the  same  marble 
steps  in  the   Panathenaic  procession  which  yearly 


6o  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

gave  homage  to  the  goddess  Athena.  Flowers, 
music,  and  song  were  the  natural  accompaniment 
of  such  a  scene.  These  fleeting  sounds  have  long 
since  ceased  to  echo  through  the  perfumed  air, 
but  we  see  the  same  sky  arching  over  all,  we 
press  the  same  marble,  worn  smooth  with  the 
tread  of  many  feet,  and  we  feel  the  solid  rock 
firm,  stanch  as  of  old,  bidding  fair  to  endure  as 
long  as   time   endures. 

Such  thoughts  as  these  fill  the  mind  as  one 
passes  through  the  gateway  and  looks  out  upon 
the  level  surface  of  the  rock.  To  the  rieht  and 
back  about  midway  stands  the  Parthenon,  which, 
even  in  its  ruins,  gives  abundant  evidence  of  its 
once  strong  and  noble  proportions.  It  is  turned 
at  such  an  angle  that  both  north  and  west  sides 
meet  the  eye  in  splendid  balance  of  proportion. 
At  the  left  is  the  Erechtheion,  a  slender-columned, 
finely  proportioned  temple,  whose  beauty  of  form 
and  richness  of  detail  are  more  fully  appreciated 
upon  nearer  approach.  We  see  in  the  mind's  eye, 
directly  in  front  of  the  gateway,  the  colossal  statue 
of  Athena  which  dominated  the  Akropolis,  standing 
tall  and  godlike,  so  high  that  even  the  sailors  far  out 
at  sea  could  catch  the  gleam  of  her  golden  helmet. 


Propylaia  ;  Temple  of  Niki5  Apteros  at  the  Right 


Erechtheion 
6t 


62 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Of  her  we  read  in  the  Odyssey:  ."She  bound 
beneath  her  feet  her  lovely  golden  sandals  that 
wax  not  old  and  bear  her  alike  over  the  wet  sea 


Parthenon  :  View  between  the  Outer  and  Inner 
Row  OF  Columns 

and  over  the  limitless  land,  swift  as  the  breath  of 
the  wind.  And  she  seized  her  powerful  spear 
shod  with  sharp  bronze,  weighty,  huge,  and  strong, 
wherewith    she    quells    the    ranks    of    heroes    with 


INTRODUCTION  63 

whomsoever  she  is  wroth,  the  daughter  of  the 
mighty  sire."^  Where  once  her  feet  rested,  now 
the  pale  and  dehcate  asphodel  waves  its  slender 
stalk  of  amber-colored  bells,  yielding  a  faint  per- 
fume to  the  afternoon  breeze. 

Behind  all  glows  the  sky  in  evanescent  hues  of 
blue  and  dusky  violet,  which  lend  to  the  creamy 
white  marble  a  setting  delicate,  lovely.  Between 
the  columns  of  the  temples  one  catches  a  glimpse 
of  the  encircling  hills,  —  Areopagos,  Pentclikon, 
Hymettos,  Lykabettos, — with  smiling  fields  stretch- 
ing out  to  the  waters  of  the  Saronic  Gulf,  a  fair 
land  indeed,  worthy  to  be  the  home  of  poetry  and 
the  arts. 

The  memory  of  that  first  afternoon  is  tinged 
with  a  flavor  of  amusement.  Immediately  after 
our  arrival  at  the  hotel  in  Athens,  we  had  met 
an  acquaintance,  a  somewhat  learned  person,  who 
very  kindly  offered  to  accompany  us  on  our  first 
visit  to  the  Akropolis.  My  friends  were  pleased 
and  agreed  to  go ;  but  I  unsociably  declined,  mur- 
muring an  excuse.  They  planned  to  go  early, 
so  I  chose  a  later  hour,  intending  to  meet  them 
on  the  summit.     But  from  first  to  last  I   had  the 

1  Odyssey,  I,  97-102. 


64  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

afternoon  to  myself,  save  for  a  moment  when  I 
met  Ares  and  Hebe  who  smilingly  nodded ;  for, 
in  amusing  literalness  to  my  whim,  preferring  to 
get  the  first  impression  without  guidance  or  com- 
panionship, upon  my  approach  each  glided  myste- 
riously behind  a  column  or  step,  thus  leaving  me 
to  the  full  enjoyment  of  unlonely  solitude.  It 
was  a  dream  world  that  day  with  poet,  philoso- 
pher, and  the  wise  of  old,  a  day  that  can  never 
be  forgotten. 

Pentelic  marble,  of  which  these  temples  and  the 
Propylaia  are  made,  is  fine  in  grain  and  brilliantly 
white  when  newly  cut.  Owing  to  the  presence  of 
iron  this  marble,  after  exposure  to  the  air,  becomes 
toned  to  a  rich  golden  hue  that  deepens  to  a 
mellow  amber  tone,  even  to  a  tawny  orange  in  the 
more  exposed  parts.  The  Propylaia  has  retained 
its  creamy  whiteness,  save  in  a  few  less  protected 
parts ;  but  the  Parthenon,  particularly  the  east 
end,  has  assumed  a  depth  of  color  that  changes  its 
strong  columns  and  heavy  architrave  into  bands 
of  low-toned  orange,  varying  from  neutral  to  a  rich 
rust  color,  which,  against  the  dusky  violet-blue  of 
the  sky  as  I  saw  it  late  one  afternoon,  produced 
an  effect  wondrously  rich. 


INTRODUCTION 


':T^:: 


Beyond  the  Parthenon,  half  hidden  on  the  east 
end  of  the  rock,  is  the  Akropohs  Museum  in  which 
can  be  seen  the  treasures  that  recent  excavations 
on  the  Akropolis  have 
brought  to  Hght.  Here,  in 
all  their  dainty  primness, 
are  the  smiling  maidens 
whose  tresses,  robes,  and 
ornaments  are  so  charm- 
ingly adorned  with  color. 
Whom  they  were  intended 
to  represent  is  a  question 
upon  which  archaeologists 
differ.  Some  say  they  were 
pre-Persian  statues  of 
Athena;  others  that  they 
were  priestesses  of  the 
ancient  goddess  whose 
shrine  was  the  old  temple ; 
again,  others  think  they 
were  votive  offerings.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  we  know  that  they  are  extremely 
interesting,  showing  sufficient  variety  of  style  to 
prove  their  claim  to  original  work  of  archaic  sculp- 
tors, and  well  rewarding  careful  study. 


Votive  Statue 


66 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


From  the  old  Temple  of  Herakles,  which  formerly- 
stood  on  the  Akropolis,  is  a  group  in  relief — Herakles 
fighting  the  Lern^an  Hydra,  and  another,  Herakles 
conquering  the  Triton.  Both  show  distinct  traces 
of  color,  —  green,  yellow,  and  red.  These  were  un- 
earthed in  1882  to  the  south  of  the  Parthenon. 


Temple  of  Nike  Apteros 

In  another  room  is  the  many-hued  three-headed 
snaky  monster,  now  cast  down  from  the  lofty  pedi- 
ment from  which  he  once  smilingly  looked  forth. 
Fragments  of  sculpture  from  metope,  pediment, 
and  column  show  traces  of  color  which  once  gayly 
covered   their  surface   and   which   accentuated   the 


INTRODUCTION  67 

marks  of  the  sculptor's  chisel  so  skillfully  handled 
twenty-five  hundred  years  ago. 

Here,  in  a  room  at  the  right,  are  two  reliefs 
from  the  balustrade  of  the  little  temple  of  Nike 
Apteros,  which  stood  originally,  and  still  stands, 
restored  in  the  present  century,  to  the  right  of  the 
Propylaia.  I  examined  closely  the  relief  of  Nike 
Untying  her  Sandal,  which  has  been  to  me  always 
one  of  the  loveliest  things  in  Greek  sculpture. 
The  modeling  of  the  foot,  revealing  as  it  does  a 
perfect  understanding  of  anatomical  laws,  is  one 
of  the  finest  bits  of  workmanship  in  existence. 
The  hand  which  chiseled  that  marble  had  been 
trained  to  a  perfect  mastery  of  itself ;  it  had  knowl- 
edge behind  it,  and  feeling  of  the  most  exquisite 
sensitiveness.  Every  stroke  is  the  touch  of  genius ; 
the  result  is  beauty.  One  may  well  spend  many 
hours  in  this  museum,  which,  although  small, 
contains  great  things. 

National  Arch.eological  Museum 

It  is,  however,  in  the  National  Archaeological 
Museum  that  the  visitor  finds  most  complete 
resources  for  studv.  This  museum  was  built  in 
1836  by  a  public-spirited  Greek.     It  is  well  arranged 


68 


INTRODUCTION 


69 


m 


as  to  structure,  and  is  a  model 
in  the  disposition  of  its  collec- 
tions. One  large  room  is  de- 
voted to  the  various  objects 
discovered  at  Mykenee,  Tiryns, 
Sparta,  Menidi,  Nauplia,  Argos, 
and  Vaphio,  which  include 
weapons,  ornaments,  vessels  of 
gold  and  silver,  pottery  and 
implements  found  in  tombs  and 
palaces,  many  of  which  date  as 
far  back  as  the  fifteenth  century 
before  Christ,  or  even  earlier. 

One  may  pass  through  room 
after  room  of  sculpture,  carefully 
arranged  in  order  to  show  the 
development  of  plastic  art  from 
the  earliest  forms  of  archaic  type 
—  many  of  which  show  traces  of 
color,  as  for  instance,  the  stele 
of  Aristokles,  with  its  red  back- 
ground and  traces  of  blue  on  the 
costume  —  down  through  its 
perfect  flowering,  and  its  less 
noble    forms,    in    later    periods,    SxEni  of  AKisxoKHis 


70  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

The  collection  covers  rare  examples  of  sculpture 
in  high  and  low  relief,  architectural  fragments  and 
details,  also  figures  in  the  round,  statues  of  marble, 
bronze,  and  other  materials  gathered  from  all  parts 
of  Greece,  the  adjoining  islands,  and  Asia  Minor,  — 
as  rich  a  treasure  house  as  can  be  seen  anywhere 
in  the  world.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  day  will 
soon  come  when  the  British  Museum  will  restore 
to  Greece  those  priceless  sculptures  from  the  Par- 
thenon which  rightfully  belong  to  the  land  that 
gave  them  birth.  In  this  museum  they  now  would 
be  carefully  guarded  and  would  form  the  crowning 
glory  of  Greek  sculpture. 

The  museum  is  specially  rich  in  vases  of  all 
epochs,  from  the  earliest  Mykenaean,  including 
the  Dipylon  ware,  to  the  red-figured  vases  of  the 
finest  period.  Of  votive  or  funereal  reliefs  there 
are  many  exceptionally  fine  examples  through 
which  we  are  brought  face  to  face  with  a  personal 
expression  of  Greek  feeling.  As  one  walks  slowly 
through  the  corridors,  one  seems  to  come  into 
direct  and  intimate  touch  with  the  life  of  a  people 
who,  ordinarily  joyous,  yet  had  to  meet  the  sorrow 
and  mystery  of  death,  as  we  all  have  to  meet  it  at 
one  time  or  another.     We  should  judge  by  these 


Grave  Relief 
71 


72  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

reliefs,  if  they  afford  any  indication  of  the  true 
spirit  of  Greek  feeUng,  that  they  met  it  in  a  way 
quite  consistent  with  their  ideal  of  life,  —  that  mod- 
eration should  control  every  act  and  feeling,  even 
grief  itself. 

Among  them  "  there  are  shrines  of  domestic 
affection,  family  groups  where  the  ordinary  life 
proceeds,  the  different  members  of  the  family 
grasping  hands  to  bid  adieu,  as  if  they  were  to 
meet  again  happily  on  the  morrow.  .  .  .  They  are 
pleasant  as  in  life,  probably  portraits,  and  it  is 
hard  to  determine  which  figure  in  them  represents 
the  departed,  there  being  a  controversy  among 
critics  on  this  point,  but  the  weight  of  proof  is  in 
favor  of  the  seated  figure  as  that  of  the  deceased 
person,  thus  occupying  the  place  of  honor  and 
devotion." 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  monuments  in  the 
collection  was  found  at  Athens,  and  represents  a 
family  group.  The  life  expressed  in  these  figures 
is  wonderful.  It  is  here  the  Athenian  mother  who 
has  died,  and  the  noble  seated  form  apparently  is 
swayed  by  a  profound  emotion  of  love  that  makes 
her  more  alive  and  even  more  joyful  than  those 
about  her,  whose  faces  denote  grief.     The  lingering 


INTRODUCTION  73 

hand-clasp  is  specially  significant.  "  Indeed,  a  few 
of  the  monuments,  though  these  are  exceptional  in 
Greek  art,  express  poignant  grief ;  but  art  seems  to 
have  acted  as  a  viaticum  of  love  and  consolation,  — 
a  mild  angel  to  smooth  the  roughness  of  separation, 
touching  the  features  of  death  with  a  rare  beauty. 
And  how  strange  it  is  that  a  faith,  with  so  faint  a 
light  shining  on  the  unknown,  could  have  evolved 
so  calm  a  sentiment  regarding  the  utter  extinction 
of  this  life  which  to  the  Greeks  was  so  joyful,  show- 
ing that  there  was  depth  of  sweetness  in  the  Greek 
nature  that  death  could  not  touch  !  We  should 
remember  that  a  nation  which  produced  a  Plato 
could  not  have  been  a  nation  of  atheists."  ^ 

Athens 

Our  arrival  in  Athens  chanced  to  be  upon  the 
eve  of  Independence  Day,  a  day  which  corresponds 
to  our  Fourth  of  July.  Early  the  next  morning  we 
were  awakened  by  the  sound  of  music,  and,  looking 
out  from  the  sunny  balcony,  flags,  bunting,  stream- 
ers, and  brightly  colored  decorations  waved  gayly 
in  the  street  and  public  square  below.     Groups  of 

1  From  Greek  Art  on  Greek  Soil,  by  James  M.  IToppin,  Professor  of 
the   History  of  Art,  Yale   University. 


74  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

people  hurried  by.  Soldiers,  sailors,  officers,  civil- 
ians, stylishly  dressed  women  and  gayly  bedecked 
men  gathered  until  the  Place  de  la  Constitution, 
with  its  background  of  tropical  foliage,  orange,  ole- 
ander, fig,  and  palm  trees,  and  the  streets  bounding 
its  four  sides,  were  one  sea  of  faces  in  which  one 
could  discern  a  variety  of  national  types,  —  the  clear- 
cut  features  of  English  and  American,  the  sharply 
pointed  French,  the  squarely  chiseled  German,  the 
low-browed  native  peasant,  Greek  or  Albanian,  and 
the  clear  classic  profile  of  the  better-class  Greek. 

All  were  awaiting  the  great  event  which  later 
took  place,  —  the  coming  of  king  and  queen  with 
their  suite,  accompanied  by  the  royal  guards  with 
battalions  of  soldiers,  each  headed  by  its  officer  in 
full  regalia,  on  their  way  from  the  royal  palace  to 
the  ancient  Byzantine  church  where,  on  such  a 
solemn  occasion,  it  was  meet  to  give  thanks  for 
the  independence  of  Greece,  —  little  Greece  now 
at  last  freed  from  the  hated  foreign  yoke. 

Athens  is  distinctly  a  modern  city,  dating  its 
present  form  from  1834,  when  it  became  the  mod- 
ern capital.  Its  wide  streets,  its  fine  royal  palace 
of  white  marble,  its  spacious  squares,  compare 
favorably  wath  any  other  European  city.     Modern 


INTRODUCTION 


75 


Athens  is  again  the  center  of  Greek  intellectual 
and  political  life,  as  it  was  in  the  far  past.  Its 
modern  museums  and  the  British,  German,  and 
American    Archaeological    Schools,    each    under   a 


Modern  Athens  :   the  King's  Palace  on  the  Right  ; 
Lykabettos  on  the  Left 

distinguished  authority  in  such  matters,  and  its 
incomparable  remains  of  architecture  and  sculp- 
ture, attract  many  foreigners. 

From   Athens    there    are   many  excursions   that 
one  may  take   to  various   parts  of  Greece  and  the 


76  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

adjoining  islands  in  the  y^gean.  One  of  the  most 
dehghtful  is  a  sea  trip  to  Aig'ina.,  across  the  bay, 
past  the  island  of  Salamis,  where 

*'A  king  sat  on  the  rocky  brow  * 

Which  looks  o'er  sea-born  Salamis ; 
And  ships,  by  thousands,  lay  below, 
And  men  in  nations  —  all  were  his  ! 
He  counted  them  at  break  of  day  — 
And  when  the  sun  set,  where  were  they  ?" 

For  here  is  the  scene  of  the  famous  sea  fight  in 
which  the  Persian  Xerxes  met  his  giant  defeat 
and  Greece  won  the  day.  High  above  one's  head 
rises  the  great  rock  that  formed  his  throne  and 
casts  deep  shadows  into  the  "  wine-purple  "  sea. 

From  Athens  to  ^gina  the  eye  is  feasted  with 
colors  of  rare  beauty.  Sea  and  sky  echo  in  pearly 
tones  of  opal,  amethyst,  turquoise,  emerald,  sap- 
phire,—  only  the  names  of  jewels  can  adequately 
describe  colors  of  such  exquisite  purity,  —  every 
fleeting  effect  of  passing  sail  and  cloud.  Near  the 
shore  one  looks  down  into  clear  limpid  depths  to 
the  jeweled  rocks  below,  where,  if  anywhere  on 
this  fair  earth,  sportive  mermaids  would  choose  to 
live.  Sponge  fishing  is  carried  on  by  the  youth 
and  men  of  /Egind.  in  the  spring  and  summer  as 


INTRODUCTION 


11 


a  profitable  trade.  One  can  scarcely  believe  that 
anything  less  than  pearls  and  sapphires  could  come 
up  from  such  heaven-reflected  depths. 

yEgina  itself  is  a  rather  barren  island  save  where 
olive,  fig,  and  almond  are  cultivated  for  home  con- 


/E(;iNA 


sumption  and  trade  with  the  mainland.  From 
earliest  times  —  as  early  as  the  sixth  century  before 
Christ  —  the  y^ginetans  showed  an  independence 
of  spirit  that  soon  brought  them  prosperity  and 
renown.  Their  trade  extended  to  Italy,  the  Black 
Sea,  even  to  Egypt.     Their  shipowners  were  famed 


JS  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

for  their  wealth,  disposing  of  and  exchanging  their 
bronze  goods,  — for  which  they  were  specially  noted, 
—  their  pottery,  ointments,  and  other  wares  at  fair 
prices.^  This  and  their  naval  renown  —  for  it  was 
"  one  of  the  thirty  ships  from  ^gina  that  obtained 
the  prize  for  the  greatest  bravery  in  the  battle  of 
Salamis "  —  were  the  cause  of  their  ruin,  for  the 
Athenians  became  jealous  and,  in  456  B.C.,  com- 
pelled the  submission  of  the  island. 

It  was  a  motley  group  of  youths  and  maidens 
that  we  saw  assembled  on  the  rocky  slope  as  we 
landed  from  our  "  well-benched  "  ship.  Black-eyed, 
sunburnt,  ragged,  active,  each  young  Greek  pushed 
and  pulled  his  or  her  own  particular  little  donkey 
forward,  soliciting  our  attention  with  eager  looks 
and  cries.  Such  donkeys  !  Such  little  beasts  !  One 
could  scarcely  believe  them  equal  to  carrying  an 
hundred-pound  burden  up  that  steep  incline  to  the 
fair  temple  which  gleamed  like  a  golden  beacon  far 
above  on  the  hill. 

Never  can  we  forget  the  rare  deliciousness  of 
that  day,  when  sea,  sky,  and  earth  yielded  their 
full  measure  of  beauty.     A  hot  sun  poured  down, 

^  A  Mykenasan  Treasure  from  iEgina,  by  A.  J.  Evans,  in  The  Journal 
of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIII,  1892-1S93. 


INTRODUCTION  79 

bringing  out  fragrant  incense  from  pungent  pine, 
sweet-smelling  thyme  and  odorous  herb,  that  grew 
at  our  feet  and  crackled  crisply  as  the  tiny  hoofs  of 
the  small  donkey  crushed  them  into  still  sweeter 
sweetness. 

As  we  climbed  higher  and  higher,  a  wider  horizon 
spread  before  us,  until  finally  a  full  circle  of  vary- 
ing blues  made  a  complete  panorama  stretching  out 
inimitably  in  perfect  harmony  of  line  and  color. 

Twenty  columns  still  remain  of  that  ancient 
temple,  one  of  the  earliest  now  standing  in  Greece, 
and  the  first  which  shows  a  pedimental  composi- 
tion designed  on  good  laws  of  arrangement.  The 
temple  was  built  after  the  Persian  wars,  ^  about 
470  B.C.,  when  the  strife  between  Athens  and 
/Egin3.  was  at  its  fiercest.  The  figures  of  the  ped- 
iment groups  were  discovered  among  heaps  of 
rubbish  by  English  and  German  travelers  in  181 1, 
and  were  later  purchased  by  Germany  and  re- 
moved to  Munich,  where  they  can  now  be  seen 
and  studied  in  the  Glyptothek,  as  restored  by 
Thorwaldsen. 

The  subject  is  the  Trojan  War.  Athena  pre- 
sides in  the  center,  an  archaic  figure  stiffly  imper- 
turbable,   while   to   the    right    and    left    of    her   are 


8o  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Greeks  and  Trojans  in  various  attitudes  of  offense 
and  defense.  The  figures  of  the  western  pediment 
are  best  preserved,  and  show  surprising  Hfe  and 
movement.  The  stone  is  of  Parian  marble,  once 
colored,  and  still  retaining  traces  of  color  in  eyes, 
beards,  and  drapery. 

The  old  temple  has  a  look  of  hoary  antiquity 
almost  equal  to  that  of  the  old  Temple  of  Corinth. 
Its  columns  are  a  warmly  toned  yellow  dulled  by 
grays,  with  here  and  there  a  deeper  orange  in  the 
more  exposed  parts.  Against  the  deep  blue  of 
the  sky  and  lighted  by  streaks  of  brilliant  sun- 
shine the  effect  is  startlingly  beautiful,  column  and 
architrave  holding  their  strong,  dignified,  massive 
forms  as  if  time  and  decay  had  nothing  to  do  with 
such  handiwork,  made  to  outlast  the  little  life  of 
man.  Some  of  the  columns  are  monoliths,  others 
consist  of  several  drums;  all  are  heavy,  showing 
well  the  characteristics  of  early  Doric. 

From  the  temple  front  the  view  is  exception- 
ally fine.  To  the  east,  across  the  blue  waters  of 
the  Saronic  Gulf,  which  sparkle  and  gleam  in  the 
sunshine  like  dancing  jewels,  shine  the  walls  and 
marble  temples  of  Athens  against  the  cooler  tones 
of  purple-dimpled  hills.     The  Akropolis,  rose-tinted 


SUNION 


^B  ^1  ^1  'H  H    "^^1     ii^l       i^& 

jl. 

•^^^^^glj^j^^^gl^^ 

KlTttiT     '^''"^''^^Sl 

Templk  of  Sunion 
8i 


82  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

and  violet-shadowed,  glows  like  the  petals  of  some 
lovely  flower  in  the  afternoon  light. 

To  the  north  lies  Salamis,  half  hiding  from  view 
the  rocky  mainland  beyond,  on  which  lie  Megara 
and  Eleusis.  Westward,  islands  dot  the  sea  here 
and  there  in  pale  pinkish  and  deeper  rose-violet 
spots,  broken  by  dark  green  masses  of  foliage.  To 
the  south  is  the  open  sea,  bounded  on  the  east 
by  Sunion's  lonely  point  with  its  marble-crowned 
temple  of  which   Byron  wrote 

Place  me  on  Sunion's  marbled  steep, 

Where  nothing,  save  the  waves  and  I, 

May  hear  our  mutual  murmurs  sweep; 

There,  swan-like,  let  me  sing  and  die. 
******* 

But  ours  was  a  merry  party  that  day,  full  of 
the  elixir  of  life,  eager  to  explore  every  nook  and 
cranny  of  that  old  shrine,  and  deeply  engrave  it 
upon  the  memory.  That  was  a  great  lunch,  too, 
fit  for  hungry  appetites,  spread  out  under  the  no- 
ble old  pine  tree  around  which  we  seven  gathered 
in  perfect  abandon  of  spirits.  Can  we  ever  forget 
it,  —  the  happiness  that  comes  with  health,  good 
spirits,  and  the  sense  of  perfect  enjoyment?  The 
old    woman   who    stood   by  as   we    ate,   cheerfully 


INTRODUCTION  83 

conversing  to  our  delighted  ears  in  the  musical 
unknown  tongue,  deftly  weaving  all  the  while  from 
her  homemade  distaff  twined  with  white  flax; 
or  the  lean  and  hungry  dog  which  leaped  eagerly 
for  every  chicken  bone  and  crusty  scrap, —  a  veri- 
table Kerberos ;  or  the  group  of  ruddy-hued  donkey 
boys  and  girls  lounging  in  the  hot  sun  and  cutting 
deep  splotches  of  shadow  against  the  creamy  white 
marble  of  stylobate  and  step ;  these,  these  are  some 
of  the  memories  of  a  day  w^onderful  beyond  com- 
pare, for  rich  and  complete  enjoyment,  chiseled 
deep  in  the  mind  and  heart.  Do  you  not  agree 
with  Iris,  O  Apollo  and  Artemis? 

Excursions   in   and   about  Athens 

From  Athens  as  a  starting  point  there  are  many 
excursions  to  the  north  and  east  that  one  may  take 
in  a  day's  outing,  and  there  are  numerous  walks 
to  sacred  shrines  which  occupy  only  a  few  hours. 
The  Lykabettos,  a  near  conspicuous  hill  about 
w^hich  no  special  classic  associations  cluster,  is, 
however,  well  worth  a  climb,  for,  from  its  top  one 
obtains  a  fine  view  of  Athens,  the  Akropolis,  the 
surrounding  Attic  plain,  and  the  widespread  Saronic 
Gulf  dotted  with  islands. 


84  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Areopagos 

The  Areopagos,  or  Mars'  Hill,  may  be  included 
in  a  walk  to  the  Akropolis.  A  flight  of  fifteen 
steps  brings  one  to  the  rounding  rocky  top  where 
once  the  sacred  altars  stood.  It  was  here  that 
the  ancient  court  of  justice  sat,  exercising  the 
power  of  life  and  death  over  offenders  brought  to 
it  for  trial.  It  is  said  that  here  Orestes  obtained 
pardon  for  the  murder  of  his  mother,  Klytaimnestra. 
At  the  base  of  the  hill  is  a  deep  gloomy  fis- 
sure in  which  lies  a  pool  of  black  water.  This 
was  the  haunt  of  the  Eumenides,  or  Furies^  who 
so  tormented  Orestes,  and  here  was  the  scene  of 
the  tragedy  of  yEschylos.  It  is  assumed,  although 
not  proven,  that  it  was  from  this  hill  the  apostle 
Paul  in  the  spring  of  54  a.d.  preached  his  stirring 
address  beginning,  "  Ye  men  of  Athens,  in  all 
things  I  perceive  that  ye  are  somewhat  superstitious. 
For  as  I  passed  along,  and  observed  the  objects 
of  your  w^orship,  I  found  also  an  altar  with  this 
inscription,  'To  an  Unknown  God.'  What  there- 
fore ye  w^orship  in  ignorance,  this  set  I  forth  unto 
you. 

1  See  Delphika,  The  Erinyes,  The  Omphalos,  by  Jane  E.  Harrison,  in 
The  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIX,  1899.  ^  Acts  xvii.  22. 


Lykabettos 


Areopagos 

8s 


86  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

Leaving  the  main  street  at  the  Temple  of  Jupiter 
Olympus  and  passing  the  public  gardens  of  the 
Zappeion,  we  come  to  the  banks  of  the  Ilissos, 
which  once  were  laid  out  with  walks  and  shade 
trees  by  Kimon  and  became  the  favorite  resort 
of  Plato  and  his  followers.  Here  were  altars  to 
Zeus,  Athena,  and  Herakles.  It  is  quite  probable 
that  it  is  to  this  spot  Plato  alludes  when  he 
writes  in  his  Phaidros:  "By  Hebe,  a  fair  resting 
place,  full  of  summer  sounds  and  scents.  Here  is 
the  lofty  and  spreading  plane  tree  and  the  fire 
bush  high  and  clustering  in  the  fullest  blossom 
and  the  greatest  fragrance ;  and  the  stream  which 
flows  beneath  the  plane  tree  is  deliciously  cold  to 
the  feet.  Judging  from  the  ornaments  and  images, 
this  must  be  a  spot  sacred  to  Acheloos  and  the 
nymphs.  How  delightful  is  the  breeze  —  so  sweet, 
and  there  is  a  sound  in  the  air  shrill  and  summer- 
like, which  makes  answer  to  the  chorus  of  the 
cicadce.  But  the  greatest  charm  of  all  is  the  grass, 
like  a  pillow  gently  sloping  to  the  head.  Listen  to 
me  then  in  silence,  for  surely  the  place  is  holy ; 
so  that  you  must  not  wonder  if,  as  I  proceed,  I 
appear  to  be  in  a  divine  fury,  for  I  am  already 
getting  into  dithyrambics." 


INTRODUCTION  d>'j 

KOLONOS 

About  two  miles  west  of  Athens,  in  the  region 
about  the  Temple  of  Thesus,  is  Kolonos,  surrounded 
by  the  famous  olive  woods  and  the  groves  of 
Akademe.  Sophokles  had  his  home  here,  and 
lays  the  scene  of  his  tragedy,  ^dipos  Kolonos, 
in  this  place : 

Friend,  in  our  land  of  victor-steeds  thou  art  come 
To  this  Heaven-fostered  haunt,  Earth's  fairest  home, 
Gleaming  Kolonos,  where  the  nightingale 
In  cool  green  covert  warbleth  ever  clear, 
True  to  the  deep-flushed  ivy  and  the  dear 
Divine  impenetrable  shade, 

From  'wildered  boughs  and  myriad  fruitage  made 
Sunless  at  noon,  stormless  in  every  gale. 

Valley  of  Kephisos 

This  broad  band  of  refreshing  green  is  the  plain 
of  the  Kephisos,  a  stream  which  waters  the  lovely 
valley  for  ten  miles  or  more.  Even  now  one  may 
listen  to  the  nightingale  of  which  Sophokles  writes, 
and  hear  "  the  plane  tree  whispering  to  the  elm,"  as 
Aristophanes  heard  of  old.  These  groves,  too,  were 
a  favorite  resort  of  Plato,  who  loved  to  walk  under 
their  sj^reading  branches  discoursing  the  wliile  on 


88  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

those  problems  of  immortality  which  filled  his  mind. 
"For  the  soul  goes  to  Hades  possessing  nothing 
else  than  its  discipline  and  education,  which  are 
said  to  be  of  the  greatest  advantage  or  detriment 
to  the  dead  on  the  very  beginning  of  his  journey 
thither.  .  .  .  The  soul  which  has  passed  through 
life  with  purity  and  moderation,  having  obtained 
the  gods  for  its  fellow-travelers  and  guides,  settles 
each  in  the  place  suited  to  it.  Since,  then,  that 
which  is  immortal  is  also  incorruptible,  can  the 
soul,  since  it  is  immortal,  be  anything  else  than 
imperishable  ? " 

Pentelikon,   Hvmettos,  and  Marathon 

An  excursion  to  Mount  Pentelikon  is  practically 
a  day's  outing,  but  is  well  worth  the  effort.  The 
ancient  quarries,  which  produced  the  fine  Pentelic 
marble,  still  yield  a  supply.  Kephisia,  a  charm- 
ingly situated  little  village,  a  favorite  modern  sum- 
mer resort,  as  it  was  of  old,  lies  on  a  spur  of  the 
mountain.  About  it  is  a  luxurious  growth  of 
trees,  while  occasional  waterfalls  charm  both  ear 
and  eye.  Here  is  the  principal  source  of  the 
Kephisos  from  which  water  is  conducted  to 
Athens.     Tatoi",  the  summer  residence  of  the  king. 


INTRODUCTION  89 

lies  a  short  distance  beyond.  A  well  laid  out  park 
and  grove  of  oaks  make  this  place  especially 
attractive.  From  the  summit  of  Pentelikon  is  a 
glorious  view  of  the  hills  of  Attika. 

The  ascent  of  Mount  Hymettos  is  less  easy.  Its 
bare,  rugged  slopes  now  seem  scarcely  able  to  yield 
flowers  for  the  honey  so  famed  by  the  poets.  Yet, 
upon  examination,  one  sees  even  on  this  barren, 
treeless  spot  masses  of  little  wild  flowers  growing 
close  to  the  earth. 

Between  Pentelikon  and  Hymettos,  nearly  due 
north,  is  the  pass  which  leads  to  Marathon: 

"The  mountains  look  on  Marathon 
And   Marathon  looks  on  the  sea." 

On  the  left  of  Pentelikon  is  the  chain  of  Parnes 
with  its  three  passes ;  one  by  Dekeleia,  the  site 
of  the  present  king's  country  palace,  the  one  by 
which  you  reach  Tanagra,  that  city  which  has 
given  its  name  to  the  dainty  little  statuettes  so 
well  known  to  modern  collectors;  below  is  the 
pass  of  Phyle,  that  famous  pass  by  which,  one 
may  almost  say,  the  liberty  of  Athens  was  secured; 
and  the  third,  the  pass  of  Daphni,  marked  by  the 
site  of  the  convent  with  its  old  Byzantine  church 
rich   in  mosaics. 


I'ASS    OF    DAI'lINf 


DiPYLON  Gate 
90 


INTRODUCTION  9 1 

This  pass  was  the  highroad  to  Eleusis,  over 
which  the  sacred  processions  passed  on  their  way 
to  celebrate  the  "  holy  mysteries."  The  present 
road,  leaving  the  Dipylon  Gate  at  Athens  and 
winding  in  and  out  through  a  pleasant  country  of 
scattered  woodland  and  open  pastures,  is  almost 
identical  with  the  old  one.  For  nearly  its  entire 
distance  it  was  bordered  with  gravestones ;  many 
are  still  in  place,  but  some  of  them  have  been 
removed,  for  their  better  preservation,  to  the 
National  Archaeological  Museum.  A  few,  temple- 
shaped  monuments,  were  adorned  with  paintings. 

The  grave  of  Plato  was  once  shown  near  his 
favorite  haunt  in  the  groves  of  Akademe,  which 
once  connected  with  the  Dipylon  Gate.  Monu- 
ments of  statesmen,  poets,  warriors,  and  noble 
citizens  lined  this  ancient  way.  Plato  gives  us 
an  epitaph   which  is  singularly  touching: 

I  am  a  maiden  of  bronze,  and  lie  on 

the  tomb  of  Midas  ; 
So  lontj;  as  water   flows  and  tall  trees  grow, 
So  long,  here  on  this  spot,  by  his  sacred  tomb 

abiding, 
I  shall  declare  to  passers-by.   that  Midas 

sleeps  below. 


92  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

DiPYLON  Gate 

This  "street  of  tombs"  is  the  only  one  extant 
in  Greece.  Here  still  may  be  seen  the  grave  of 
Hipparete,  the  wife  of  Alkibiades  the  younger. 
One  of  the  finest  monuments  is  that  of  Dexileos, 
a  young  Athenian  who  was  a  valiant  soldier  in 
the  Corinthian  War.  Occasionally  traces  of  color 
are  observed  on  the  reliefs.^ 

Such  a  setting  seems  particularly  appropriate  to 
the  main  uses  of  this  road  which  conducted  the 
religious  devotee  to  the  object  of  his  worship.  One 
of  the  strangest  phases  of  the  ceremonial  took  place 
at  the  first  halting  place,  by  the  bridge  over  the 
Kephisos.  Here  a  spirit  of  wildest  revelry  seemed 
to  possess  the  band,  which  gave  rein  to  extraordinary 
acts  of  license  in  honor  of  Dionysos,  who  "had  been 
adopted  into  the  circle  of  Eleusinian  underworld 
gods."  We  do  not  know  its  meaning,  but  undoubt- 
edly there  was  some  symbolic  significance  involved. 

It  was  on  the  banks  of  this  stream  that  Deme- 
ter  planted  the  "  holy  fig  tree  "  which  she  gave  to 
Phytalos  in  gratitude  for  his  courteous  hospitality 
when  she  came,  sorrowful  and  lonely,  in  search  for 

1  See  Die  Attischen  Grabreliefs,  von  Alexander  Conze,  Berlin,  Taf. 
II,  XIII. 


INTRODUCTION  93 

her  daughter.  This  myth  of  Demeter  is  one  of  the 
most  touching  of  all  Greek  myths,  and  like,  or  more 
than,  all  others,  was  full  of  pregnant  meaning. 

A  beautiful  maiden  Persephone  (Kore),  with  her 
companions,  once  gathered  many-hued  flowers  in 
a  vale  where  spring  perpetually  reigns.  Hades, 
god  of  the  underworld,  saw  her  and  his  heart  was 
smitten  with  her  beauty.  He  succeeded,  much 
against  her  will,  in  carrying  her  off  on  his  mighty 
steeds.  On  the  banks  of  the  river  Kyane  he 
struck  the  earth  with  his  trident  and  forced  a 
passage  to  the  regions  of  the  dead. 

Meanwhile  her  mother,  Demeter,  mourned  her 
as  one  dead,  yet  sought  her  from  dawn  to  eve 
over  all  the  earth.  At  length,  weary  and  heavy- 
hearted,  she  sat  down  upon  a  rock,  and  for  nine 
days  and  nights  sorrowed,  unheeding  the  dews  of 
morning  and  evening,  the  scorching  rays  of  the 
sun,  the  showers,  or  the  moonlight  which  shed 
pale  rays  of  light  over  her  drooping  figure.  This 
rock  was  where  the  city  of  Eleusis  now  stands. 

At  length  an  old  man,  Keleos  by  name,  begged 
her  to  come  to  his  cottage  near  by,  telling  her  as 
they  walked  that  his  only  son,  Triptolemos,  was 
very  ill.     Demeter  took  pity  upon  the  poor  father 


94  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

and  restored  the  boy  to  life  by  a  kiss,  promising 
that  he  should  become  a  great  and  useful  man.  "He 
shall  teach  men  the  use  of  the  plow,  and  the  rewards 
w^hich  labor  can  win  from  the  soil,"  she  said. 

But  Demeter  still  continued  the  search  for  her 
daughter  Persephone,  and  at  length  came  to  the 
banks  of  the  river  Kyane.  Here  the  river  nymph 
floated  to  her  feet  the  girdle  which  Persephone 
had  dropped  in  her  flight.  Demeter,  then  per- 
ceiving whither  she  had  been  carried,  laid  a  curse 
upon  the  earth,  which  caused  famine  and  drought 
and  plague,  until  the  fountain,  Arethusa,  besought 
her  pity,  telling  her  that,  in  her  flight  from 
Alpheios,  through  the  regions  of  the  underworld, 
she  had  passed  through  the  kingdom  of  Hades, 
where  she  had  seen  Persephone  who,  although  sad, 
had  showed  no  alarm,  but  only  a  wonderful  dignity 
such  as  became  a  queen  of  the  lower  regions. 

Demeter  then  implored  Zeus  to  restore  her 
daughter,  to  which  he  consented  on  condition  that 
she  had  taken  nothing  to  eat  during  her  stay  in 
the  underworld.  But,  alas,  Persephone  had  tasted 
a  pomegranate.  The  Fates  finally  agreed,  however, 
that  she  should  pass  two  thirds  of  her  time  with 
her  mother  in  the  sunny  land  of  earth  among  her 


Eleusinian  Relief  :    Demeter,  Persephone, 

AND    TrIPTOLEMOS 


95 


96  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

flowers  and  fruits,  and  one  third  in  the  region  of 
the  dead  with  the  lord  of  the  underworld. 

Her  mind  now  at  rest,  Demeter  remembered  her 
promise  to  Triptolemos.  She  taught  him  the  arts 
of  agriculture  —  plowing,  sowing,  reaping  —  and 
took  him  in  her  winged  chariot  through  the  known 
countries  of  the  earth  where,  under  her  direction, 
he  distributed  valuable  grains  and  imparted  to 
mankind  a  knowledge  of  the  arts  of  life,  changing 
men  from  nomadic,  wandering  hordes,  to  well- 
ordered  civilized  communities  with  a  social  bond. 

When  Triptolemos  returned  to  his  old  home, 
in  gratitude  and  thanksgiving  he  "  built  a  temple 
to  Demeter  in  Eleusis,  and  established  the  worship 
of  the  goddess  under  the  name  of  the  Eleusinian 
Mysteries,  which,  in  the  splendor  and  solemnity  of 
their  observance,  surpassed  all  other  religious  cele- 
brations among  the  Greeks."  Shelley  invokes  the 
blessing  of  Demeter  thus: 

Sacred  goddess,  Mother  Earth, 
Thou  from  whose  immortal  bosom, 
Gods,  and  men,  and  beasts,  have  birth, 
Leaf,  and  blade,  and  bud,  and  blossom. 

Breathe  thine  influence  most  divine 

On  thine  own  child,  Proserpine. 


INTRODUCTION  97 

Pass  of  Daphni 

From  the  Kephisos  to  the  pass  of  Daphni  the 
road  winds  through  a  wooded  ravine  which  inter- 
sects the  range  of  Mount  y^galeos.  It  is  a  beauti- 
ful country,  lonely,  with  only  here  and  there  a  house 
or  tavern.  At  one  quaint  little  wayside  inn  we 
were  enchanted  to  see  a  group  of  Greek  peasants 
dancing  to  the  music  of  pipes  and  viols  amid  the 
flickering  shadows,  their  white  full-sleeved  shirts 
and  short  white  pleated  skirts  catching  the  light 
in  l3right  spots  of  vibrating  color. 

Beyond  the  pass  of  Daphni  the  road  shows  here 
and  there  traces  of  mediaeval  fortifications  and  the 
remains  of  an  ancient  temple  to  Aphrodite  in  the 
narrowest  part  of  the  way.  The  loneliness  and 
peaceful  quiet  of  this  spot  are  most  impressive. 
In  the  pines  above,  the  wind  softly  whispered  a 
minor  melody,  sighing  perhaps  the  long-lost  glory 
that  once  was  there ;  occasionally  the  song  of  a  bird 
pierced  the  stillness  with  its  plaintive  cry,  calling 
perchance  to  the  spirit  of  a  mate  who  two  thou- 
sand years  ago  sang  to  that  same  quiet  sky. 

The  ancient  stones  which  marked  the  Sacred 
Way  still  lie  in  the  roadway  half  covered  by  mossy 


98  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

lichens  and  straggling  grass,  now  no  longer  pressed 
by  the  sandaled  feet  of  "  mystae,"  of  pilgrims,  of 
worshipers.  Just  beyond,  a  turn  of  the  road  brings 
us  to  a  fine  view  of  the  Bay  of  Eleusis,  its  crescent- 
shaped  shore  making  a  lovely  curve  of  yellow  sand 
against  the  pale  azure-tinted  waters.  The  rocky 
Salamis  holds  the  outer  rim  of  water  in  its  sturdy 
grasp,  carrying  the  eye  up  from  the  deeper  blue  of 
the  sea  to  the  pale  violets  and  purples  of  its  rugged 
sides.  It  is  a  fair  view,  and,  like  many  places  in 
Greece,  forms  an  environment  perfect  in  form  and 
color,  well  fitted  to  be  the  setting  of  sacred  mys- 
teries. Two  salt  lakes,  in  which  the  priests  alone 
were  wont  to  fish,  lie  like  two  jewels  of  turquoise 
and  emerald  against  the  golden  sand  on  the  right, 
and  beyond,  on  the  slope  of  a  long  narrow  ridge, 
lies  Eleusis. 

Ah !  woe  to  the  traveler  who  goes  to  Greece  with 
eyes  untrained  and  mind  unprepared!  To  him 
Eleusis  will  be  only  a  poor  fe\'er-stricken  village, 
unattractive  to  the  eye  and  unhallowed  by  associ- 
ation to  the  mind.  In  Greece,  if  anywhere,  one 
must  walk  in  the  light  of  a  high  and  glorious 
past,  else  disappointment  will  surely  be  his  por- 
tion.    Eleusis   of    to-day   bears   no   visible   relation 


INTRODUCTION  99 

to  Eleusis  of  the  past.  Yet  here  was  yEschylos 
born  and  to  this  city  came  the  great  and  wise 
of  many  lands  from  ancient  days  down  to  the  end 
of  the  fourth  century. 

Mysteries  of   Eleusis 

It  was  in  honor  of  Demeter  and  her  gift  to 
Triptolemos  that  these  mysteries  were  celebrated 
twice  a  year,  —  in  the  spring  and  fall,  at  the  time 
of  the  revival  and  decay  of  nature,  —  the  Greater 
and  Lesser  Eleusinia  as  they  were  called.  Homer, 
Pindar,  Sophokles,  Aristophanes,  Plato,  all  write 
of  these  mysteries  not  only  in  terms  of  praise 
but  even  of  deep  feeling.  In  a  brief  fragmentary 
way  they  refer  to  the  ceremonials,  —  dramatic  rep- 
resentations and  forms  of  penance  and  worship  that 
were  in  use  and  that  symbolized  the  cleansing  of 
the  soul  from  sin,  the  initiation  of  the  spirit  into 
higher  and  nobler  visions  of  truth  after  such  puri- 
fication, and  gave  glimpses  of  a  future  life.  Pre- 
cisely what  these  mysteries  were  we  do  not  know, 
for  none  but  the  initiated  were  allowed  to  take 
part  in  them,  and  none  of  the  initiated  were 
allowed  to  reveal  them  upon  penalty  of  death. 
The    most    conspicuous   feature    was    the    solemn 


lOO 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


torchlight  procession  tliat  left  Athens  on  the  eve 
of  the  fifth  day  of  the  Greater  Eleusinia  and  passed 
along  through  the  Sacred  Way  to  Eleusis. 

Eleusis 

The  propylaia,  or  gateway,  formed  the  entrance 
to   the   sacred    inclosure.      Within   was    the   Great 


Eleusis  :  Lesser  Propylaia 

Temple  of  the  Mysteries  built  upon  the  founda- 
tions of  an  older  temple  destroyed  at  the  time  of 
the  Persian  Wars.  This  great  temple  was  begun 
by  Iktinos  —  the  architect  of  the  Parthenon  —  and 
completed  one  hundred   years  later.     It  was  used 


INTRODUCTION 


lOi 


for  the  continued  celebration  of  these  mysteries 
with  all  their  splendid  ceremonial  from  that  time 
until  396,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  the  Goths 
under  Alaric. 

Little  now  remains  of  all  that  ancient  splendor. 
Excavations  by  the  Archaeological  Society  in  1882 
have  laid  bare 
the  foundations 
of  that  temple 
and  also  of  the 
more  ancient 
one.  Most  of 
the  sculptures, 
the  statues  of 
priestesses  and 
gods,  reliefs  and 
i  n  script  ions, 
and  many  frag- 
m e n t s  of  all 
periods  are  now 
in  the  little 
museum  on  the  grounds,  built  under  the  lee  of  the 
akropolis  which  rises  behind,  topped  by  its  Prank- 
ish tower.  From  this  point  is  a  fine  view  of  the 
quiet  bay,  rugged  Salamis,  and  the  opposite  coast 


Eleusis  :  Architrave  of  Tropvlaia 


I02  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

line;  and  it  is  only  when  one  looks  out  upon  this 
scene  —  slowly  pacing  the  broad  marble  founda- 
tions of  the  temple,  which  tells  the  story  of  the 
past  —  that  the  imagination  can  rise  to  a  just 
appreciation  of  all  that  once  made  this  spot  the 
center  of  a  deeply  religious  life  which  Cicero, 
himself  an  initiate,  said  was  the  great  product 
of  the  culture  of  Athens.  "  Much  that  is  excel- 
lent and  divine  does  Athens  seem  to  me  to  have 
produced  and  added  to  our  life,  but  nothing  better 
than  those  Mysteries  by  which  we  are  formed  and 
molded  from  a  rude  and  savage  life  to  humanity ; 
and  indeed,  in  the  Mysteries  we  perceive  the  real 
principle  of  life,  and  learn  not  only  to  live  happily 
but  to  die  with  a  fairer  hope."^ 

1  De  Legg.,  II,  14,  §  36. 


CHAPTER    I 
A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    GREEK    PAINTING 

Two  sources  of  knowledge:  literature  and  extant  works  —  Origin 
of  painting —  Kimon  of  Kleoni —  Polygnotos,  his  works  in  the  Portico 
on  the  Akropolis  at  Athens,  and  at  Delplii  —  Agatharchos  —  Apollo- 
doros  —  Zeuxis  —  Parrhasios  —  Timanthes  —  Eupompos  —  Pausias 

—  Aristeides  —  Nikomachos  —  Euphranor  —  Nikias  —  Apelles  — 
Protogenes  —  Antiphilos  —  Theon  of  Samos  —  /Etion  —  Helena, 
probable  painter  of  Battle  of  Issos  —  Timarete,  daughter  of  Mikon 

—  Eirene  —  Kalypso  —  Aristarte  —  laia  —  Olympias —  Nikophanes 

—  Peiraikos  —  Studios  —  Fabius  Pictor  —  Ludius. 

A  knowledge  of  the  art  of  painting  as  it  sprang 
up  and  developed  among  the  Greeks  is  derived 
from  two  sources.  On  the  one  hand,  Greek  litera- 
ture abounds  with  references  to  both  famous  paint- 
ings and  painters ;  on  the  other,  although  most  of 
the  examples  of  art  to  which  they  refer  are  lost, 
yet  enough  still  remains  in  Greece  and  elsewhere 
to  give  us  a  very  fair  idea  of  the  painter's  methods 
in  the  use  of  color  and  the  subjects  which  he 
depicted.  To  become  familiar  with  these  refer- 
ences in  Greek  literature  we  must  read  the  Greek 
and    Roman    poets,    dramatists,    and    historians,  — 


I04  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

Aristotle,  Plutarch,  Pliny,^  Quintilian,  Lucian,  Cicero, 
Pausanias ;  to  see  the  actual  remains,  it  is  necessary 
to  go  to  Greece,  to  lower  Italy,  even  to  Egypt,  in 
order  to  round  out  the  knowledge  we  may  have 
acquired  already  from  a  close  study  of  the  Greek 
and  Roman  collections  in  the  best  museums  of 
America  and  Europe. 

We  are  apt  to  think  of  Greek  art  chiefly  as  an 
art  of  architecture  and  sculpture ;  but  if  we  read 
literature  aright,  we  cannot  fail  to  be  struck  with 
the  most  enthusiastic  and  exalted  praise  of  its 
painters  and  paintings.  Most  of  the  descriptions 
which  have  come  down  to  us,  chief  among  which 
are  those  of  Pausanias,  refer  to  famous  paintings 
which  adorned  the  public  buildings  and  the  tem- 
ples of  the  gods,  and  which  were  among  the  price- 
less possessions  of  the  state;    but  wealthy  private 

1  Pliny  died  at  the  time  of  the  eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius,  a.d.  79. 

"  In  his  dedicatory  letter  addressed  with  the  Historia  to  the  co-emperor 
Titus,  Pliny  has  himself  announced  that  '  the  twenty  thousand  matters 
worthy  of  attention,'  contained  in  the  thirty-six  volumes  of  his  work,  were 
'  gathered  from  some  two  thousand  books.'  W^e  must,  therefore,  regard 
his  work  as  nothing  more  than  a  compilation  from  other  records,  in  which 
personal  observation  plays  no  part  outside  the  range  of  contemporary 
events.  An  irreparable  accident,  however,  —  the  total  loss  of  the  art 
literature  which  preceded  Phny,  —  has  given  to  the  books  a  unique  value." 
—  From  The  Elder  Pliny's  Chapters  on  the  Histoiy  of  Art,  translated  by 
K.  Jex-Blake,  with  commentary  and  historical  introduction  by  E.  Sellers, 
The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York  and  London,  1S96. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  GREEK   PAINTING      105 

citizens,  as  in  our  own  day,  owned  not  a  few.  Pliny 
says,  "All  the  masters  labored  for  the  cities,  and  the 
artist  was  the  possession  of  the  whole  world." 

Origin  of  Greek  Painting 

The  origin  of  Greek  painting,  like  the  origin  of 
all  other  arts,  is  obscure.  Probably  the  first  crude 
attempts  were  connected  with  the  industrial  arts  of 
weaving  and  pottery  making,  and  with  the  deco- 
ration of  funereal  emblems  and  the  images  of  the 
gods.  There  is  a  legend  that  a  Greek  maiden 
traced  the  shadow  of  her  lover  upon  the  wall,  and 
thus  began  the  art  of  graphic  representation ;  the 
next  step  naturally  was  the  filling  in  of  such  an 
outline  with  a  fiat  tone  of  color,  and  later,  the  use 
of  two  or  more  colors  to  distinguish  between  cos- 
tume and  fiesh.  One  student  of  Greek  archaeol- 
ogy writes :  "  Philokles,  Kleanthes,  and  the  earliest 
painters  are  scarcely  painters  at  all ;  they  practice 
mere  outline.  Then  Ekphantos  fills  up  his  out- 
line with  red  color.  Hygiainon  and  his  fellows 
continue  to  use  only  one  color  till  it  occurs  to 
Eumaros  to  distinguish  in  painting  between  the 
sexes;  this  he  doubtless  does  by  introducing  white 
for  the  flesh  of   women,  and  thus  marks  the  first 


I06  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

stage  in  the  progress  from  monochrome  to  poly- 
chrome painting." 

Dionysios,  an  ancient  Greek  writer,  comments  on 
the  paintings  preceding  the  time  of  Apollodoros : 
"  In  ancient  paintings  the  scheme  of  coloring  was 
simple  and  presented  no  variety  in  the  tones ;  but 
the  line  was  rendered  with  exquisite  perfection, 
thus  lending  to  these  early  works  a  singular  grace. 
This  purity  of  draughtsmanship  was  gradually  lost ; 
its  place  was  taken  by  a  learned  technique,  by 
the  differentiation  of  light  and  shade,  by  the  full 
resources  of  the  rich  coloring  to  which  the  works 
of  the  later  artists  owe  their  strength." 

Kimon  of  Kleonai  is  supposed  to  have  lived  about 
the  time  of  the  Persian  Wars.  But  little  is  known 
of  his  work  save  that  he  "  invents  foreshortening." 
He  further  correctly  marks  the  "  articulations  and 
the  muscles  and  '  discovers  the  wrinkles  and  wind- 
ings of  drapery.'  Panainos  in  his  Battle  of  Mara- 
thon introduces  portraiture." 

POLVGNOTOS 

Polygnotos  of  Thasos,  the  next  painter  whose 
name  assumes  distinct  prominence,  was  a  contem- 
porary of  Pheidias  and  lived  between  475  and  455  b.c. 


A  BRIEF   HISTORY  OF  GREEK  PAINTING      107 

He  first  "  permits  the  draperies  to  reveal  the 
bodies  beneath  them,  and  shows  at  the  same  time 
how  to  give  not  only  movement  to  the  body,  as 
Kimon  had  done,  but  also  expression  to  the  face." 
He  was  the  head  of  a  school  or  group  of  painters 
who  covered  the  walls  of  many  public  buildings 
at  Athens :  the  painted  gallery  of  the  market  place 
with  large  battle  scenes  commemorating  Greek  vic- 
tories; the  Temple  of  Theseus  at  the  base  of  the 
Akropolis  with  a  series  giving  various  events  in 
the  life  of  that  hero, —  where  were  also  the  paint- 
ings of  Mikon,  Pausanias  ^  says :  "  and  near  the 
gymnasium  is  a  Temple  of  Theseus  where  are 
paintings  of  the  Amazons  .  ,  .  and  in  the  Temple 
of  Theseus  is  also  painted  the  fight  between  the 
Kentaurs  and  Lapiths.     Theseus  is  represented  as 

1  Our  knowledge  of  Pausanias  is  very  limited.  We  know  that  he  lived 
during  the  reign  of  the  Antonines,  in  the  second  century,  and  that  he 
traveled  extensively  in  Greece.  Much  that  he  then  saw  has  wholly 
gone,  leaving  no  trace  nor  evidence  of  its  existence.  This  applies  with 
particular  force  to  the  work  of  Greek  painters,  of  which  scarcely  a  vestige 
remains.  The  written  word,  then,  of  this  traveler  —  who  evidently  was 
keenly  interested  in  all  that  he  saw  and  heard,  and  who  so  skillfully  com- 
bines his  facts  and  observations  that  his  book  is  full  of  lively  interest  at 
the  present  day  —  is  of  peculiar  importance  to  the  modern  student  of 
Greek  art.  We  have  quoted  freely  from  it,  Ijut  we  advise  our  readers  to 
go  to  the  original  if  they  would  catch  something  of  the  spirit  of  that  age ; 
for  when  Pausanias  was  in  Greece  he  found  "  every  city  teeming  with  life 
and  refinement,  eveiy  temple  a  museum  of  art,  and  every  spot  hallowed 
by  some  tradition  which  contributed  to  its  preservation." 


Ti '^ii'LE  OF  Theseus 


Propylaia 

1 08 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY   OF  GREEK   PAINTING      109 

just  having  slain  a  Kentaur.  .  .  .  But  the  painting 
on  the  third  wall  is  not  clear  to  those  who  do  not 
know  the  story,  partly  as  the  painting  has  faded 
from  age,  partly  because  Mikon  has  not  portrayed 
the  whole  story."  Pausanias  also  says :  "  Now  the 
temple  of  the  Dioskuri  is  ancient ;  .  .  .  here,  too,  is 
a  painting  by  Polygnotos  of  the  marriage  of  the 
daughter  of  Leukippos,  and  by  Mikon  of  the  Argo- 
nauts who  sailed  with  Jason  to  Kolchi ;  in  this 
painting  Akastos  and  his  horses  stand  out  remark- 
ably well." 

But  the  more  important  works  of  Polygnotos 
are  a  series  of  six  pictures  representing  the  chief 
events  of  the  Trojan  War,  which  could  be  seen 
"  as  one  goes  into  the  Portico,^  which  they  call 
the  Painted  Gallery,  from  the  Paintings  there." 
For  these  famous  paintings,  the  work  undoubtedly 
of  Polygnotos'  own  hand,  he  was  rewarded  with 
the  right  of  citizenship.  Pausanias  writes:  "To  the 
Akropolis  there  is  only  one  approach ;  it  allows 
of  no  other,  being  everywhere  precipitous  and 
walled  off.  The  Vestibules  have  a  roof  of  white 
marble,  and  even  now  are  remarkable  both  for  their 
beauty  and  size. 

1  The  north  wing  of  the  Propylaia,  on  the  Akropolis,  Athens. 


1  lO 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


"  On  the  right  of  the  Vestibules  is  the  Shrine  of 
the  Wingless  Victory.  From  it  the  sea  is  visible, 
and  there  y^geus  drowned  himself,  as  they  say,  and 
the  Athenians  have  a  hero  chapel  to  his  memory. 
And  on  the  left  of  the  Vestibules  is  a  building  with 
paintings ;   and  among  those   which   time  has  not 


Odysseus  appearing  to  Nausikaa  and  her  Maidens 
From  a  Greek  vase  painting 

destroyed  are  Diomede  and  Odysseus  .  .  .  which 
Polygnotos  painted;  who  also  painted  Odysseus 
suddenly  making  his  appearance  as  Nausikaa  and 
her  maidens  were  bathing  in  the  river,  just  as  Homer 
described  it.  And  among  other  paintings  is  Alki- 
biades,  and  there  are  traces  in  the  painting  of  the 
victory  of    his    horses  at   Nemea.      There,  too,  is 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY   OF   GREEK   PAINTING      i  i  i 

Perseus,  sailing  to  Seriphos,  carrying  Polyclektes, 
the  head  of  Medusa;  .  .  .  and  among  other  paint- 
ings, to  pass  over  the  lad  carrying  the  waterpots, 
and  the  wrestlers,  painted  by  Timainetos,  is  one 
of  Musaios.  And  on  the  southern  wall  Attalos 
has  portrayed  the  legendary  battle  of  the  giants 
who  formerly  inhabited  Thrace  and  the  Isthmus  of 
Pallene,  and  the  contest  between  the  Amazons  and 
the  Athenians,  and  the  action  of  Marathon  against 
the  Persians,  and  the  slaughter  of  the  Galati  in 
Mysia,  each  painting  ten  cubits  in  size." 

Pausanias  also  tells  us  that  "  the  Plataians  have 
a  temple  ,  .  .  and  there  are  paintings  in  the  tem- 
ple by  Polygnotos,  —  Odysseus  having  just  slain  the 
suitors,  —  and  by  Onatas,  —  the  first  expedition  of 
Adrastos  and  the  Argives  against  Thebes.  These 
paintings  are  on  the  walls  in  the  Vestibules  of  the 
temple." 

But  it  was  at  Delphi,  in  the  Assembly  room,  that 
Polygnotos  painted  his  most  famous  masterpieces. 
From  the  full  description  of  them,  which  Pausanias 
has  given,  we  must  infer  that  they  occupied  a  place 
of  as  supreme  importance  in  the  development  of 
Greek  painting  as  do  the  works  of  Giotto  in  the 
growth   of   Italian  art.      Pausanias  writes:   "Above 


I  12 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


the  fountain  is  a  building  which  contains  some 
paintings  of  Polygnotos.  .  .  .  On  the  right  as  you 
enter  the  building  is  a  painting  of  the  capture  of 
IHum  and  the  return  of  the  Greeks."  Under  this 
part,  at  the  right,  is  the  inscription :  " '  Polygnotos 
of  Thasos,  the  son  of  Aglaophon,  painted  these 
incidents  in  the  capture  of  Ilium.'  .  .  .    The  other 

part  of  the  paint- 
ing, that  on   the 
left,   represents 
Odysseus   de- 
scending  to   Ha- 
des to  consult  the 
soul   of  Tiresias 
about  his  return 
home.  ...   Such 
is  a  full  account 
of  the  various  de- 
tails in  this  fine  painting  of  the  Thasian  painter,"^ 
These  paintings  probably  lacked  correctness  of 
form,   and    perhaps   composition   also    in    its    truer 
sense,   for    undoubtedly   single    objects    were    still 

1  The  above  extract  is  a  mere  outline  of  a  full  account  of  these  paint- 
ings by  Polygnotos  at  Delphi,  which  fills  chapters  xv,  xvi,  xvii,  xxv,  xxvi, 
xxvii,  xxix,  and  xxx,  of  the  second  volume  of  Pausanias'  Description  of 
Greece,  Bohn's  Edition. 


Odysseus  consulting  the  Shades  of 

Tiresias 

From  a  Greek  vase  painting 


A  BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   GREEK   PAINTING      113 

used,  as  in  more  archaic  painting,  to  symbolize 
or  suggest,  rather  than  depict,  the  actual  scene ; 
yet  with  these  limitations  there  must  have  been  a 
grandeur  and  simple  dignity  that  would  explain 
the  high  estimate  in  which  they  were  then  held, 
and  which  would,  no  doubt,  compel  our  admiration 
now  as  do  some  of  the  finer  Etruscan  paintings 
of  early  date.  The  principles  of  symmetry  and 
rhythm  were  already  discovered,  the  laws  of  bal- 
ance were  obviously  followed  in  the  distribution 
of  masses,  and  with  them  must  have  gone  grace  of 
line,  expressiveness  of  action,  and  vigorous  move- 
ment. Aristotle  describes  Polygnotos  as  a  character 
painter,  and  says  that  his  works  are  preeminent  for 
their  ethnic  qualities.  Of  his  figure  of  Polyxena  in 
one  of  his  Trojan  paintings,  a  Greek  epigram  ex- 
pressively states  that  "  the  whole  Trojan  war  might 
be  read  in  her  eyes." 

It  is  interesting  in  this  connection  to  note  that 
at  this  period,  when  sculpture  was  at  its  most  per- 
fect stage  of  development,  painting,  although  less  ad- 
vanced technically,  expressed  a  grandeur  and  large- 
ness of  conception  which  was  excelled  at  no  later 
time.  Pheidias  and  Polygnotos  were  not  unequal  con- 
temporaries in  the  fields  of  sculpture  and  painting. 


114  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

Agatharchos 

Agatharchos,  of  Samos,  a  younger  contemporary 
of  Polygnotos,  instituted  a  new  style  of  painting 
which  greatly  advanced  the  art,  particularly  in 
the  direction  of  landscape  and  architectural  back- 
grounds. He  was  a  mural  painter,  for  we  know  that 
he  decorated  the  house  of  Alkibiades ;  but  he  w^as  a 
scene  painter  ^  also,  and,  possibly  at  the  suggestion  of 
yEschylos  and  later  of  Sophokles,  he  devoted  most 
of  his  abilities  to  that  line  of  art,  an  important  one 
at  the  time,  requiring  rapid  and  bold  execution  with 
large  ideality  of  invention. 

"  The  usual  background  of  a  Greek  tragedy  con- 
sisted of  an  architectural  scene,  such  as  a  temple, 
a  king's  palace,  or  the  like ;  but  at  the  extremities 
of  this  it  is  clear  that  landscape  distances  must 
often  have  found  a  place  as  well,  and  sometimes 
the  whole  scene  consisted  of  a  picture  of  a  camp, 
or  of  a  landscape  pure  and  simple.  ...  It  is 
impossible  to  overestimate  the  importance  of  the 
invention  of  scene  painting  as  the  most  decisive 
turning  point  in  the  entire  history  of  art.  ...  It  is 
clear   that    scenes   painted   in   imitation    of    nature 

1  The  Scenery  of  the  Greek  Stage,  by  Percy  Gardner,  in  The  Journal 
of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIX,  1899. 


"5 


Il6  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

for  the  decoration  of  a  theater  could  not  have 
answered  their  purpose  of  illusion  unless  they  had 
been  laid  out,  to  some  extent,  according  to  the 
rules  of  perspective.  ...  It  cannot  be  doubted 
that  the  principles  of  foreshortening  and  the  use 
of  lines  converging  towards  a  vanishing  point 
had  been  discovered,  and  this  progress  was  quite 
enough  to  mark  a  new  period,  and  a  new  depar- 
ture in  comparison  with  the  previous  practice  alike 
of  Greece  and  the  East."  ^ 

Apollodoros 

Towards  the  end  of  the  fifth  century  before  Christ, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Peloponnesian  Wars,  was 
born  at  Athens  Apollodoros,  whom  Pliny  calls 
the  first  real  master  of  painting.  He  combined 
both  landscape  and  figures  in  his  easel  pictures, 
giving  to  them,  it  is  said,  reality,  charm,  and  sub- 
stance. He  it  was  "  who,  by  discovering  the  fusion 
and  management  of  shade,  —  we  should  rather  say 
of  light,  —  first  gave  to  objects  their  real  sem- 
blance; thus  he  contributed  to  painting  its  most 
important  factor,  and  thereby,  as  an  epigrammatist 
pointedly  said,  he   opened  the  gates  of  art   to   the 

1  History  of  Painting,  by  Woltmann  and  Woermann. 


A  BRIEF   HISTORY  OF  GREEK   PAINTING      117 

great  masters  of  Greek  painting,  —  to  Zeuxis  and 
Parrhasios  and  their  illustrious  contemporaries." 

While  his  predecessors,  who  were  mural  painters, 
merely  distributed  tints  within  given  outlines,  he,  in 
these  smaller  works,  actually  laid  on  paint  with  the 
brush  and  softened  the  outlines  of  his  figures  with 
some  attempt  at  a  true  relation  to  the  background. 
His  subjects  are  mainly  from  heroic  legend, — a 
Zeus  enthroned,  Herakles  strangling  the  snakes, 
an  Ajax  in  his  ship  struck  by  lightning,  —  the 
latter  receiving  special  praise.  Pliny  says  that  he 
bestowed  minute  care  upon  his  work,  and  that  in 
addition  to  his  color  skill  he  painted  "  monochromes 
in  white." 

Up  to  this  time  Athens  had  been  the  chief  seat 
of  the  painters'  art,  but  now,  with  the  decline  of 
her  supremacy,  several  cities  rose  into  prominence, 
developing  centers  of  artistic  influence  which  are 
sometimes  classed  as  separate  schools  of  art.  We 
can  scarcely  do  more  than  name  these  main  centers, 
of  which  there  were  three  of  special  importance, 
togcether  with  their  most  noted  leaders.  We 
must  also  keep  in  mind  that  as  each  generation 
built  upon  the  preceding  one,  so  it  in  turn  carried 
the  laws,  traditions,  and  scientific  discoveries  one 


Il8  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

step  farther,  until,  during  the  next  few  hundred 
years,  a  standard  was  attained  which,  according  to 
contemporary  and  later  writers,  reached  a  marvel 
of  perfection.  It  is  a  melancholy  trick  of  fate  that 
not  one  single  example  of  this  wonderful  art  of 
painting  has  come  down  to  us. 

Zeuxis 

Zeuxis  is  the  chief  exponent  of  the  Ionian  group 
of  painters.  He  was  born  at  Herakleia.  He  wan- 
dered to  various  cities,  studied  under  Apollodoros 
at  Athens,  and  established  for  himself  by  the  grace 
and  brilliant  charm  of  his  brush  a  popular  reputation 
which  has  brought  his  name  down  familiarly  to 
our  own  day.  His  subjects  were  pictures  of  every- 
day life,  —  the  lesser  gods,  a  Zeus  enthroned,  which 
Pliny  highly  praises,  an  ideal  Helen  for  a  temple 
of  Hera  at  Kroton,  a  Penelope,  the  personification 
of  domestic  virtue,  and  the  famous  bunch  of  grapes 
which  his  rival,  Parrhasios,  succeeded  in  outrival- 
ing by  his  clever  painting  of  a  curtain,  so  true  to 
nature  that  even  Zeuxis  was  deceived. 

He  passed  most  of  his  later  life  at  Ephesus,  where 
he  lived  in  great  luxury,  spending  with  lavish  hand 
the  means  which  he  acquired  by  his  painting.     He 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF   GREEK  PAINTING      119 

became  a  sort  of  popular  demigod,  appearing  at  the 
Olympic  festival  in  a  garment  on  which  his  name 
was  embroidered  in  gold. 

Parrhasios 

Parrhasios  was  born  at  Ephesus.  He,  too,  went 
to  Athens,  where  he  studied  and  received  recog- 
nition, acquiring  the  freedom  of  the  city  in  honor 
of  his  painting  of  Theseus,  the  national  hero. 
Pliny  says,  "  He  first  gave  painting  symmetry,  and 
added  vivacity  to  the  features,  daintiness  to  the 
hair,  and  comeliness  to  the  mouth,  while  by  verdict 
of  artists  he  is  unrivaled  in  the  rendering  of  out- 
line." In  addition  to  his  clever  realism  in  scenes 
from  everyday  life,  he  also  chose  themes  of  dra- 
matic interest,  —  the  strife  between  Odysseus  and 
AJax  for  the  armor  of  Achilles,  Odysseus  feigning 
madness,  and  scenes  from  popular  tales.  A  repre- 
sentation of  Demos,  personified  probably  by  a  single 
figure,  and  perhaps  suggested  by  Aristophanes'  play 
of  The  Knights,  claimed  great  admiration,  accord- 
ing to  Pliny,  who  tells  us  of  the  marvelous  variety 
of  expressions  which  its  face  revealed,  summing  up, 
as  it  were,  all  the  conflicting  emotions  of  which 
the  human  soul  is  possessed. 


I20  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

From  the  following  account,  and  from  the  story 
of  Zeuxis  and  the  grapes,  we  can  see  how  far  we 
have  strayed  from  the  days  of  Polygnotos  and  his 
contemporaries,  since  now  realism  and  skill  in 
execution  take  the  place  of  that  ethical  greatness, 
that  largeness  of  conception  which  distinguished  the 
painting  of  an  earlier  period. 

There  are  many  stories  told  about  Greek  painters,  for  the  pop- 
ulace loved  then,  as  now,  to  associate  peculiarities  and  amusing 
foibles  with  the  name  of  genius.  We  quote  from  Athenaros,  an 
early  Greek  writer,  who  in  turn  quotes  from  Klearchos,  of  Soloi, 
a  few  amusing  notes  about  Parrhasios.  "  Among  the  ancients 
ostentation  and  extravagance  were  so  great  that  the  painter, 
Parrhasios,  was  clothed  in  purple  and  wore  a  golden  wreath  upon 
his  head,  as  Klearchos  says  in  his  '  Lives.'  Parrhasios,  while  arro- 
gant beyond  what  his  art  warranted,  yet  laid  claim  to  virtue  and 
would  write  on  his  paintings."  Again,  "As  signs  of  his  luxurious 
living  he  wore  a  purple  cloak  and  had  a  white  fillet  upon  his 
head,  and  leaned  upon  a  staff  with  golden  coils  about  it,  and 
fastened  the  strings  of  his  shoes  with  golden  latchets.  Nor  was 
the  practice  of  his  art  toilsome  to  him,  but  light,  so  that  he  would 
sing  at  his  work,  as  Theophrastos,  in  his  treatise  on  Happiness, 
tells  us.  And  he  uttered  marvels  when  he  was  painting  the 
Herakles  at  Lindos,  saying  that  the  god  appeared  to  him  in  a 
dream  and  posed  himself  as  was  fitting  for  a  picture.  Hence 
he  wrote  upon  the  painting:  'As  many  a  time  in  nightly  visits 
he  appeared  unto  Parrhasios,  such  is  he  here  to  look  upon.'  " 


A  BRIEF   HISTORY   OF  GREEK  PAINTING      12 1 


TiMANTHES 

The  third  member  of  this  group  was  Timanthes, 
a   contemporary  of  Parrhasios.     PHny  says  that  in 


Sacrifice  of  Iphigeneia 

Ponipeian  wall  painting 


his  painting  of  a  hero  he  "touched  perfection,"  and 
"comprehended  in  it  the  whole  art  of  painting  the 
male  figure."     His  Sacrifice  of  Iphigeneia  was  one 


122  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

of  the  most  celebrated  pictures  of  antiquity.  From 
a  well-known  Pompeian  wall  painting  of  a  similar 
subject  we  can  infer  something  of  the  composition 
and  design  of  the  original.  The  success  with  which 
he  portrayed  grief  with  its  varying  degrees  of  inten- 
sity in  the  countenances  of  Kalchas,  Odysseus,  Ajax, 
and  Menelaos  shows  a  skill  in  depicting  the  human 
emotions  which  called  forth  the  highest  praise ;  and 
the  care  with  which  he  conceals  the  face  of  Aga- 
memnon, her  father,  indicating  thereby  a  grief  too 
keen  to  be  expressed,  shows  an  originality  of  inven- 
tion quite  unexcelled  by  any  previous  master. 

We  are  told  that  in  a  pictorial  competition 
between  Parrhasios  and  Timanthes  —  the  subject 
being  the  contest  between  Ajax  and  Odysseus  for  the 
arms  of  Achilles  —  Timanthes  came  out  victor. 

Ancient  writers  testify  not  only  to  the  artistic 
skill  of  Timanthes,  but  emphasize  still  more  strongly 
this  ingeniousness  of  invention,  declaring  emphat- 
ically that  "  in  his  works,  and  in  his  alone,  the  spec- 
tator seems  to  see  more  than  is  actually  there." 
We  may  infer  from  this  that  his  work  possessed  a 
quality  of  the  imagination,  apart  from  skillful  tech- 
nique, that  places  him  in  a  different  class  from 
either  Zeuxis  or  Parrhasios. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  GREEK   PAINTING      123 

EupoMPOs,  Pamphilos,  and  Pausias 

Eupompos  is  called  the  founder  of  the  Sikyonian 
School.  Little  is  known  of  him  save  that  he  was 
held  in  high  repute  there.  He  emphasized  the  fact 
that  the  artist  must  go  to  nature  for  all  the  ele- 
ments of  his  art.  He  established  a  school  of  draw- 
ing w^iich  Pamphilos,  his  pupil,  perfected. 

Pamphilos  was  the  first  who  recognized  the 
need  for  scientific  study  by  the  painter,  especially 
a  knowledge  of  mathematics  and  geometry.  It  was 
through  his  influence  that  drawing  was  required 
in  all  the  boys'  schools  in  Greece.  The  course  of 
teaching  in  his  studio  was  said  to  have  lasted 
twelve  years.  The  famous  Apelles  was  one  of  his 
pupils.  The  fame  of  Pamphilos  rests  mainly  on 
his  skill  as  a  teacher,  although  he  claims  to  have  de- 
veloped encaustic  painting  on  wax.  By  this  process 
the  "  colors  were  prepared  in  little  rods  heated 
red  hot  and  laid  on  with  the  flat  end  of  a  tool.  It 
was  difUcult  to  manage,  but  gave,  for  small  pic- 
tures, excellent  results."  This  method  enabled  the 
painter  to  produce  much  more  brilliant  color 
effects  than  was  possible  in  the  distemper  paint- 
ing usually  employed. 


124  '^^^^   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

The  most  important  representative  of  this  school 
was  Pausias,  whom  we  associate  specially  with  great 
technical  improvements  in  the  use  of  color,  both  in 
distemper  and  encaustic  painting.  That  he  possessed 
skill  in  the  more  difhcult  problems  of  draughtsman- 
ship may  be  inferred  from  the  account  of  his  famous 
picture  of  a  Sacrificial  Feast,  in  which  he  foreshort- 
ened the  ox  so  boldly  that  the  "  eye  seemed  able  to 
measure  his  length."  Pausanias  says  in  his  chapter 
on  Corinth  (xxvii):  "And  in  it  (the  Rotunda)  there 
is  a  painting  by  Pausias,  of  Eros  throwing  away 
his  bow  and  arrows  and  taking  up  a  lyre  instead. 
There  is  here  a  painting  of  Drunkenness,  also  by 
Pausias,  drinking  out  of  a  glass  bowl.  You  may  see 
in  the  painting  the  glass  bowl,  and  in  it  a  woman's 
face  reflected."  Pausias'  pictures  were  so  greatly  ad- 
mired by  the  Romans  that  several  are  known  to  have 
been  taken  to  the  imperial  capital  at  a  later  period. 

In  contrast  to  the  scientific  and  technical  skill  of 
the  Sikyonian  painters  there  was  a  group  of  men, 
first  at  Thebes  and  later  at  Athens,  —  and  therefore 
sometimes  known  as  the  Theban-Attic  School, — 
w^ho  developed  a  grace  of  movement,  a  charm  of 
manner,  and  a  power  of  expressing  human  emotions 
that  brought  their  work  into  the  highest  repute. 


A  BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   GREEK   PAINTING      125 

Aristeides  and  Nikomachos 

Aristeides  and  Nikomachos  lived  about  360  b.c. 
Both  were  masters  of  skillful  and  rapid  execution. 
Pliny  says  of  Aristeides  that  he  was  the  first  painter 
to  "express  the  feelings  of  the  human  mind,  and  to 
paint  the  soul";  and  so  famous  was  he  in  his  own 
day  that  of  a  large  picture  representing  a  Battle 
with  the  Persians,  containing  a  hundred  figures, 
Pliny  remarks  that  for  each  figure  "  Mnason,  the 
tyrant  of  Elateia,  had  agreed  to  pay  him  ten  minee 
[$175].  His  picture  of  a  dying  mother  was  carried 
off  by  Alexander  to  his  native  land."  A  suppliant, 
also,  was  said  to  be  so  touchingly  pathetic  that  even 
the  tones  of  his  voice  seemed  audible.  His  Diony- 
sos  and  Ariadne  were  taken  to  Rome.  Aristeides 
was  specially  skillful  in  rendering  pathos.  It  is 
said  that  King  Attalos  paid  one  hundred  talents 
[$100,000]  for  a  single  picture  by  his  hand. 

Aristeides  was  the  son  and  pupil  of  Nikoma- 
chos, many  of  whose  paintings  were  carried  off  to 
Rome :  a  Rape  of  Persephone,  a  Victory,  Odysseus, 
an  Apollo  and  Artemis,  and  a  Scylla.  Nikomachos' 
rapidity  of  execution  surpassed  that  of  all  other  artists. 
His  pupils  were  a  brother,  Ariston,  Aristeides,  and 


126  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Philoxenor,   whose    picture    of    the  battle   between 
Alexander  and  Darius  was  "  second  to  none." 

EUPHRANOR    AND    NiKIAS 

Euphranor,  the  pupil  of  Aristeides,  was  one  of 
the  most  versatile  artists  of  antiquity.  He  was 
sculptor  as  well  as  painter,  and  worked  both  at 
Corinth  and  at  Athens.  The  subjects  of  his  art 
were  historic  and  political,  —  a  Cavalry  Engage- 
ment, the  Twelve  Gods,  a  Theseus,  and  an  Odys- 
seus feigning  Madness.  His  paintings  were  bold 
and  masterly,  firm  in  technique,  showing  special 
skill  in  portraying  human  emotion.  It  is  said  that 
he  studied  the  proportions  of  the  human  figure 
zealously.  Pliny  states  that  he  "  mastered  the  the- 
ory of  symmetry."  He  left  treatises  on  this  subject 
and  on  the  scientific  use  of  color. 

Pausanias  writes  in  his  chapter  on  Attica:  "And 
the  portico  built  behind  has  paintings  of  the  so- 
called  Twelve  Gods,  and  Democracy,  Demos,  and 
Theseus  restoring  to  the  Athenians  political  equality. 
Here,  too,  is  painted  the  action  of  the  Athenians  at 
Mantineia  .  .  .  and  in  the  picture  is  the  cavalry 
charge.  .  .  .  These  paintings  were  painted  for  the 
Athenians  by  Euphranor." 


A  BRIEF   HISTORY  OF  GREEK  PAINTING      127 

Nikias,  the  Athenian,  pupil  of  Euphranor,  ranks 
as  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  masters  of  antiq- 
uity. He  was  so  absorbed  in  his  art  that  he  for- 
got food  and  matters  of  daily  comfort.  He  was 
careful  as  to  the  choice  of  his  subjects,  saying  that 
it  mattered  as  much  what  one  painted  as  how  one 
painted.  The  list  of  his  works  which  comes  dow^n 
to  us  includes  battle  pieces  and  sea  combats,  many 
famous  heroes  and  "  white-armed  "  goddesses,  m)ths 
in  which  gods  and  heroes  figure,  and  a  portrait  of 
Alexander. 

He  painted  large  as  well  as  small  pictures ;  one, 
called  A  Questioner  of  the  Dead,  he  refused  to 
sell,  preferring  to  present  it,  as  did  Diirer  one  of 
his  so  many  years  later,  to  his  own  country  "  as  a 
token  from  his  hand."  Nikias  doubtless  worked  in 
encaustic.  Several  wall  paintings  at  Pompeii  and 
one  at  Rome  are  possibly  replicas  of  his  famous 
lo.^  Pliny  says  that  he  "painted  women  with  minute 
care."  He  took  special  pains  in  the  arrangement 
of  his  figures  against  a  background.  Many  of  his 
pictures  were  taken  to  Rome ;  one,  a  Nemea,  was 
placed  in  the  Roman  Council  Chamber,  another  in 
the  Temple  of  Concord. 

1  See  illustration  on  next  page,  from  House  of  Livia,  Rome. 


lO   GUARDED    BY    ArGOS 


128 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY   OF  GREEK  PAINTING      129 

Apelles 

Together  with  these  masters  in  the  age  of  Alex- 
ander and  his  successors  there  are  many  others  of 
renown  in  whom  are  summed  up,  if  we  read  these 
ancient  records  aright,  the  greatness  of  the  past, 
with,  in  addition,  a  skillful  mastery  of  technique 
which  brought  the  art  of  painting  to  an  unprece- 
dented perfection.  Among  these  Apelles  is  undis- 
puted leader,  the  most  famous  of  all  painters  cele- 
brated in  Greek  literature. 

Pliny  says  that  he  was  unsurpassed,  that  "he  of 
himself  perhaps  contributed  more  to  painting  than 
all  the  others  together."  From  Ephesus,  where  he 
was  born  in  the  twelfth  Olympiad,  332-329  B.C., 
he  went  to  Sikyon  to  complete  his  studies  under 
Pamphilos  and  to  acquire  the  thorough  training 
in  technique  for  which  that  school  was  renowned. 
His  reputation  soon  brought  him  to  the  notice  of 
Philip  of  Macedon,  who  invited  him  to  his  capital. 
Lysippos,  the  sculptor,  was  already  there.  Apelles 
thus  early  became  the  friend  of  the  young  Alexan- 
der, who,  when  he  became  ruler,  made  him  court 
painter.  His  mission  therefore  was  the  frequent 
painting  of  the  king's  portrait  and  the  illustrating 


130  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

of  his  warlike  deeds.  One  famous  portrait  adorned 
the  Temple  of  Artemis  at  Ephesus.  Alexander's 
outstretched  hand  held  the  thunderbolt  of  Zeus,  and 
the  illusion  was  enhanced  by  the  fact  that  the  face 
was  in  shadow.  Alexander  paid  a  large  sum  for 
this  work  and  used  to  say  that  there  were  two 
Alexanders, —  one  invincible,  the  son  of  Philip,  and 
one  immutable,  the  work  of  Apelles. 

Apelles  also  painted  the  portraits  of  many  of 
Alexander's  generals,  as  well  as  the  court  ladies 
whose  beauty  is  renowned  in  song.  He  was  origi- 
nal in  his  methods  for  forcing  the  brilliancy  of  his 
pictures,  using,  it  is  said,  a  kind  of  thin  black  glaz- 
ing which  subdued  and  at  the  same  time  height- 
ened the  effect  by  unifying  the  whole  into  a  somber 
richness,  —  a  method  which  modern  painters  some- 
times employ. 

To  his  later  life  belong  his  mythological  paint- 
ings. One  of  the  most  famous.  Calumny,  has  been 
minutely  described  by  Lucian,  and  so  great  was  its 
fame  that  later  painters  of  various  nationalities  have 
tried  to  reproduce  it  from  his  description.  Diirer 
used  the  subject  for  a  decoration,  but  Botticelli's 
Calumny  in  the  Uffizi,  Florence,  is  the  best  known. 
Apelles'  painting,  Aphrodite  emerging  from  the  Sea, 


Detail  from  Calumny 

By  Botticelli 

'3' 


132  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

is  perhaps  equally  famous.  This  picture  was  carried 
to  Rome  by  Augustus  and  its  praise  was  sung  by 
many  poets.  Botticelli  painted  this  subject  also  in 
his  well-known  picture  in  the   Uffizi. 

Apelles'  skill  lay  largely  in  his  wonderful  touch 
which  gave  to  grace  of  line  and  subtle  movement  of 
form  the  added  charm  of  personal  style.  For  that 
reason  he  is  sometimes  called  the  Raphael  of  antiq- 
uity, winning  popularity  largely  by  this  ease  of  man- 
ner which  always  compels  popular  applause.  In  por- 
traiture these  qualities  made  him  especially  famous. 

Personally,  too,  Apelles  was  a  general  favorite. 
Generous  to  his  friends,  he  was  eager  for  their  suc- 
cess, —  if  we  are  to  believe  all  that  is  told  us,  —  as  in 
the  story  of  his  friendship  for  Protogenes,  whose 
pictures  he  bought  at  a  high  price  in  order  to  show 
his  appreciation  of  their  superior  excellence.  If  we 
regard  Pliny's  words,  Apelles  had  that  rare  gift  of 
knowing  when  to  leave  his  painting;  in  other  words, 
he  was  able,  unlike  many  modern  painters,  to  stop 
before  the  charm  and  freshness  of  his  first  touch 
had  vanished  through  the  introduction  of  too  great 
detail. 

Comparing  his  work  with  that  of  Protogenes, 
whose  style  was  elaborate  and  labored,  suggesting 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  GREEK  PAINTING      133 

by  its  technique  the  effort  which  he  expended  upon 
it,  he  said  that  "  though  Protogenes  was  his  equal 
or  even  his  superior  in  everything,  he  yet  sur- 
passed that  painter  in  one  point,  namely,  in  know- 
ing when  to  take  his  hand  from  his  picture."  His 
candor  was  equal  to  his  genius.  He  frankly 
acknowledged  the  superiority  of  Melanthios  in  the 
distribution  of  figures,  and  that  of  Asklepiodoros 
in  perspective  arrangement,  —  that  is,  in  giving 
the  accurate  distances  between  different  objects. 
It  was  in  that  quality,  w^hich  the  Greeks  called 
;)(a/3t9,  that  he  excelled. 

Protogenes  and  Antiphilos 

Following  Apelles  was  Protogenes  from  Rhodes, 
who  is  famed  for  his  extreme  devotion  to  his  art, 
living  simply  and  working  under  great  difificulties 
of  poverty,  achieving  his  results  through  sheer 
persistence.  He  painted  a  portrait  of  the  mother 
of  Aristotle,  the  philosopher.  Protogenes  was  also 
a  worker  in  bronze. 

Antiphilos,  who  worked  at  Alexandria,  Theon  of 
Samos,  Action  whose  Marriage  of  Alexander  with 
Roxane  is  carefully  described  by  Lucian,  and  Helena, 
the   daughter  of   an    Egyptian,  are    a   few  of   the 


134 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


followers  of  Protogenes.  The  Battle  of  Issos,  prob- 
ably by  Helena,  is  one  of  the  best  known  of  all 
ancient  pictures,  from  its  mosaic  reproduction  in 
Pompeii,  which  is  now  in  the   Naples  Museum. 

Women,  too,  held  a  place  of  no  mean  importance. 
A  few  of  their  names  with  some  of  their  best  known 


Detail  from  Battle  of  Issos 
Pompeian  Mosaic 

works,  have  come  down  to  us  through  Pliny:  "Tima- 
rete,  the  daughter  of  Mikon,  painted  an  Artemis  at 
Ephesus,  in  a  picture  of  very  archaic  style.  Eirene, 
the  daughter  and  pupil  of  the  painter  Kratinos, 
painted    a   maiden    of    Eleusis.     Kalypso    painted 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  GREEK  PAINTING      135 

portraits  of  an  old  man,  of  the  juggler  Theodoros,  and 
of  the  dancer  Alkisthenes.  Aristarte,  the  daughter 
and  pupil  of  Nearchos,  painted  an  Asklepios.  laia, 
of  Kyzikos,  who  remained  single  all  her  life,  worked 
at  Rome  in  the  youth  of  Marcus  Varro,  both  with 
the   brush  and   with   the  oestrum   on   ivory.      She 


Detail  from  Battle  of   Issos 
Pompeian  Mosaic 

painted  chiefly  portraits  of  women,  and  also  a  large 
picture  of  an  old  woman  at  Naples  and  a  portrait 
of  herself,  executed  with  the  help  of  a  mirror.  No 
artist  worked  more  rapidly  than  she  did,  and  her 
pictures  had  such  merit  that  they  sold  for  higher 


136  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  x\RT 

prices  than  those  of  SopoHs  and  Dionysios,  well- 
known  contemporary  painters, '  whose  works  fill  our 
galleries.'  Olympias  was  also  a  painter ;  of  her  we 
only  know  that  ' Aristoboulos  was  her  pupil.'" 

Decline  of  Greek  Painting 

With  the  decline  of  Greek  culture,  painting  also 
lost  its  distinguishing  qualities,  and  the  art  assumed 
a  decorative  character  in  which  landscape,  as  applied 
to  wall  decoration,  attained  a  more  important  place. 
There  are  still  painters,  but  they  are  painters  of 
lesser  rank,  well  skilled  in  technique  but  lacking 
the  larger  conception  of  earlier  work.  Their  sub- 
jects are  chiefly  scenes  from  everyday  life  or  deco- 
rative landscape  motives  in  which  birds  and  animal 
forms  are  introduced. 

Among  them  are  Nikophanes,  who  possessed  a 
certain  delicate  charm  ;  Peirai'kos,  who  was  a  painter 
of  common  events ;  Studios,  whose  art  was  decora- 
tive in  character,  and  who  covered  walls  of  private 
houses  with  his  delightful  scenes  of  harbors,  gardens, 
groves,  villas,  and  woods,  in  cheerful  confusion  and 
charming  vagaries  of  style.  These  and  others  carry 
on  the  tradition  but  without  adding  any  new  glory  or 
even  upholding  the  high  standard  of  the  past. 


A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  GREEK  PAINTING      137 

Although  these  later  painters  worked  in  Rome, 
some  being  of  Greek,  some  of  Roman  birth,  it  is 
not  until  about  a.u.c.  450  that  we  know  of  a  painter 
of  Roman  birth, — Fabius  Pictor  by  name.  Others 
there  were,  no  doubt,  but  only  one,  Ludius,  seems  to 
receive  the  special  approbation  of  Pliny,  who  says 
of  him  that  he  who  "  lived  in  the  age  of  the  divine 
Augustus  must  not  be  cheated  of  his  fame."  Ludius 
is  to  us  especially  interesting  because  we  can  judge 
of  his  probable  handiwork  from  remains  actually  in 
existence,  —  a  wall  painting^  in  Prima  Parta,  Rome. 

From  this  time  on  there  are  no  names  nor  impor- 
tant paintings  in  the  late  Roman  Empire.  Creative 
art  had  done  its  work  and,  although  many  artisans 
and  craftsmen  carried  on  the  traditions  of  earlier 
and  more  inventive  days,  their  application  found 
outlet  chieflv  in  decorative  and  industrial  modes  of 
expression,  which  can  be  linked  with  no  individual 
names. 

1  See  Chapter  V,  page  312.  For  color  reproduction  see  Antike  Denk- 
maler,  Band  I,  Erstes  Heft,  Tafel  2. 


CHAPTER   II 

VASE  PAINTING   IN   GREECE  AND   SOUTHERN 

ITALY 

The  making  and  painting  of  the  vase  the  work  of  craftsmen  — 
Common  use  of  the  vase  —  Styles  and  subjects  of  decoration  —  The 
gods:  Zeus,  Hera,  Athena,  Herakles,  Apollo  —  Life  of  the  people, 
their  occupations,  training  in  athletic  sports  —  The  deeds  of  heroes  : 
Achilles,  Odysseus  —  Prehistoric  ware  from  Hissarlik  (Troy),  Rhodes, 
and  southern  Italy  —  Pre-Homeric  ware  from  Mykenae,  later  known 
as  the  Geometric,  and  that  found  at  Athens  known  as  the  Dipylon  — 
Style  and  subjects  of  decoration  of  Dipylon  —  Oriental  influences 
shown  at  Rhodes,  Melos,  and  Cyprus  —  Corinthian  ware  —  Naukratis 
—  Athenian  ware  —  Early  Attic  ware  —  Black-figured  ware,  early 
and  later  styles  —  Treatment  of  human  figure  —  Severe  type  of  red- 
figured  ware  —  Epictetos  and  PLuphronos  —  Fine  style  —  Orpheus 
vase  —  Ware  from  Nola  in  Campania  —  Variety  of  style  and  work- 
manship in  Athenian  ware  —  Athenian  lekythoi  —  Apulian  ware — ■ 
Campanian  ware  —  Importance  of  Greek  vases  to  the  archEeologist. 

Thus  far  we  have  considered  only  the  first  of  our 

two  sources  of  knowledge,  —  that  which  literature 

contributes.      Of    the   second   source,  —  the   actual 

remains  of  the  work  of  the  painter,  —  Greek  vases, 

mosaics,  and  wall  paintings  (the  latter  found  chiefly 

in  lower  Italy)  furnish  us  with  the  most  interesting 

visual  proof  of  the  Greek  painters'  art. 

138 


VASE   PAINTING   IN   GREECE 


139 


Excavations  during  recent  years  have  brought  to 
lig-ht  great  numbers  of  vases  both  in  Greece  and 
Italy;  for,  according  to  burial  customs,  these  were 
laid  in  the  tombs  of  the  dead  and  thus  have  escaped 
destruction 
from  fire,  pil- 
lage, and  the 
treasure  collec- 
tor. Although 
these  vases  do 
not  represent 
the  highest 
type  of  paint- 
ing but,  with 
few  exceptions, 
rather  the  ordi- 
nary decorative 
industry  executed  by  craftsmen  of  average  al^ihty, 
yet  they  show  in  chronological  order  the  develop- 
ment of  an  art  which  held  an  important  place  in  the 
life  of  the  people,  and  they  throw  valuable  light 
on  the  general  subject  of  painting,  as  well  as  upon 
the  customs,  ceremonies,  habits,  occupations,  and 
beliefs  of  the  Greeks.  For  this  reason,  as  well  as  for 
their  inherent  beauty,  they  fill  an  important  place. 


Greek  Vase  Painter  at  Work 


140 


THE  GRP:EK   PAINTERS'  ART 


The  Greek  Vase 

The  Greek  vase  was  a  common  article  of  daily 
use.  From  earliest  times,  from  the  beginning  of 
history,  the  art  of  making  pots,  jars,  cups,  and  vases 
was  not  an  evidence  of  extraordinary  skill  but  the 
simple  outcome  of  effort  applied  to  a  necessary  end. 

By  degrees  other 
elements  than  mere 
utility  found  their 
place  and,  as  skill 
increased,  beauty  of 
form  and  propor- 
tion became  ends  in 
themselves.  With 
the  perfecting  of 
the  form  the  deco- 
ration of  the  vase 
came  in  turn  to  receive  equal  attention,  and 
both  potter  and  painter  worked  together  in  har- 
mony, until  finally  the  perfect  vase  reached  that 
extraordinary  standard  of  perfection  that  ranks  it 
as  a  model  for  all  time.  The  style  of  these  deco- 
rations varies  from  the  simplest  geometrical  pat- 
terns of   the  early  Dipylon  ware  to  the   elaborate 


Archaic  Vasp:  :  Warriors 


VASE   PAINTING  IN   GREECE  141 

and  carefully  planned  compositions  of  the  best 
period  of  the  red-figured  vase.  Almost  every  sub- 
ject is  represented ;  and  as  vases  were  inexpensive 
enough  to  be  found  in  every  home,  so  popular 
subjects  were  those  most  commonly  represented,  — 
the  myths  of  the  gods,  stories  of  adventure,  love 
and  prowess  of  heroes,  the  daily  happenings,  the 
common  occupations  of  a  primitive  life.  By  the 
aid  of  these  pictures  we  are  enabled  to  gather  a 
vast  amount  of  information  which  brings  us  in 
close  touch  with  the  Greeks  as  a  people,  and  with 
the  individual  experiences  of  men  and  women  who 
lived,  acted  out  their  life,  and  died  twenty-five  hun- 
dred or  more  years  ago. 

Huddilston  writes:  "Thousands  of  vase  paint- 
ings recount  the  dealings  of  the  gods  with  men 
and  the  happenings  of  the  epic  time,  when,  as  the 
poets  w^ould  have  us  believe,  human  affairs  were 
specially  directed  by  heaven.  .  .  .  The  religious 
teachings  conveyed  by  these  paintings  is  exceed- 
ingly important.  .  .  .  Although  the  humble  pot- 
ters are  not  to  be  compared  with  the  masters  in 
painting  and  sculpture,  in  fixing  the  ideals  of  the 
gods,  they  must  still  be  accorded  the  distinction 
of   having    reenforced    the   greater   artists,    and   of 


142 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


having  had  a  large  part  in  spreading  abroad  the 
trutli  that  the  gods  do  shape  human  destiny  and 
mete  out  punishment  to  impious  mortals." 

Subjects  of  Vase  Decoration  :  the  Gods 

Some  vase  paintings  show  us  the  gods  assembled 
in  sacred  conclave,  Zeus  presiding;  others,  battles 

between  the  gods 
and  the  giants,  in 
which  each  con- 
tended for  su- 
premacy with 
superb  display 
of  muscle  and 
sinew;  or  again, 
Zeus  hurls  his 
thunderbolts 


against  some 


Herakles  and  the  Nemean  Lion  defiant    form     or 

Athena  and  Hera  attend  while  Herakles  performs 
his  marvelous  feats  of  strength.  We  thus  become 
easily  familiar  with  the  Olympian  deities,  with  Zeus, 
Hera,  Athena,  Poseidon,  Herakles,  Apollo,  Arte- 
mis, and  follow  with  fascinated  interest  the  story 
of  their  personal  and  private  adventures. 


VASE   PAINIIiVd    IN   GREECE 


143 


It  is  extremely  interesting  also  to  note  how  the 
type  changes  as  the  skill  grows,  until  after  the 
time  of  Pheidias  an  elegance  and  grace  manifest 
themselves  in  the  character  of  the  composition  and 
the  management  of  line  that  brings  the  work  of  the 
greater  potters — Duris,  Brygos,  Euphronios,  Hieron 


Herakles  and  Atlas 

—  to  a  plane  quite  in  keeping  with  the  perfection  of 
the  greater  arts  of  architecture  and  sculpture. 

The  story  of  Herakles,  whose  various  trials  of 
strength  every  schoolboy  knows,  is  shown  in  every 
detail  by  innumerable  illustrations.  Here  we  see 
him  in   actual   combat  with    the    Nemean  lion,^  or 

1  Theocritus,  Idyl  XXV. 


.ii^ 


144 


VASE   PAINTING  IN   GREECF: 


H5 


slaying  the  hundred-headed  Hydra,  or  capturing 
the  Cretan  bull  and  the  Erymanthian  boar.  Apollo, 
too,  is  a  favorite  hero ;  there  are  endless  repre- 
sentations which  show  him  in  every  familiar  act, 
—  as  sun  god,  whose  locks  shed  abroad  a  radiance 
divine;  as  musician,  holding  in  his  hands  the  lyre; 


The  Birth  of  Athena 

as  herdsman,  as  lover  of  the  beautiful  Daphne,  and 
as  god  of  the  sacred  Delphic  mysteries. 

The  adventures  of  Zeus  and  his  constant  inter- 
ference in  human  aiTairs;  the  h'wth  of  Athena,  her 
frequent  presence  in  times  of  stress,  her  character 
as  presiding  goddess  and  patron  saint  of  Athens, — 
these    and    many    other    scenes    make    up    a    most 


146  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

interesting  series  of  events  and  personages.  On  a 
famous  vase  at  St.  Petersburg  is  depicted  the  con- 
test between  Athena  and  Poseidon,  —  the  subject 
which  formed  the  decoration  of  the  west  pediment 
of  the  Parthenon.     Undoubtedly  the  vase  painting 


Attic  School 
By  Duris 

was  inspired  by  the  sculptured  work;  there  is  even 
a  small  sketch  of  a  temple  at  one  side  which  prob- 
ably is  intended  to  suggest  the  Parthenon. 

Subjects  of  Greek  Life 

But  it  is  not  the  doings  of  the  gods  which 
most  attract  our  interest.  Pictures  which  give 
an  insight  into  Greek  life,  telling  how  the  people 
lived,  walked,  ate  and  drank,  entertained  and  amused 
themselves ;  which  reveal  their  customs  of  worship, 
of  burial,  of  ceremonial  feasts,  of  sacred  rites,  — 
these  take  us   into   their   confidence   in   a  familiar 


VASE   PAINTING   IN   GREECE 


147 


and  intimate  way  that  charms  us  most.  We  note 
the  varied  shapes  of  the  couches,  cushions,  and 
coverlets ;  the  tables,  chests,  altars,  sacred  and  con- 
vivial vessels,  utensils,  and  baskets.  We  can  almost 
reconstruct  the  color  and  material  of  their  garments, 
so  well  do  we  know 
their  style  and  pat- 
tern of  decoration. 
We  certainly  can 
have  no  doubt  as 
to  their  modes  of 
headdress,  their  coif- 
fures, sandals,  and 
jewelry,  their  arms, 
weapons,  and  imple- 
ments. 

Valuable,  too,  is  the  light  thrown  by  vase  paint- 
ing upon  their  occupations:  weaving,  spinning, 
grinding  the  grain,  washing,  dyeing;  and  the  lighter 
amusements  of  playing  upon  musical  instruments, 
—  the  lyre,  harp,  flute,  and  pipes,  —  and  of  dancing. 
While  for  out-of-door  occupations,  plowing,  sowing, 
reaping,  gathering  of  fruits,  pressing  the  oil,  fish- 
ing, blacksmithing,  and  shoemaking,  pictures  tell  us 
far  more  plainly  than  words  the  ancient  methods 


Shoemaker  at  Work 


148 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Escape   from  the  Cave    of 

POLYPHEMOS  BY   OdYSSEUS 

AND  HIS  Companions 


of  performance,  many  of  which  are  still  in  use  in 
Greece  at  the  present  time,  practically  unchanged. 

Perhaps  the 
greatest  inter- 
est centers 
upon  the  vari- 
ous modes  of 
training  that 
made  up  the 
education  of 
all  the  Greek 
youth.  "After  the  sixth  year  Athenian  boys  were 
intrusted  to  the  care  of  pedagogues,  whose  busi- 
ness it  was  to  attend  them  to  and  from  school  and 
the  gymnasia.  These 
staid  individuals  faith- 
fully attended  their 
charges  even  in  the 
schoolroom.  .  .  .  Greek 
education,  embracing 
language,  music,  and 
gymnastics,  was  a 
source  from  which  the 
artist  was  always  free 
to  draw." 


Athletes 


VASE   PAINTING  IN   GREECE 


149 


Many  vase  paintings  show  the  various  athletic 
contests,  —  discus  throwing,  spear  throwing,  jump- 
ing, boxing,  wrestling,  racing,  preparations  for  the 
games,  dressing,  undressing,  rubbing  with  the  oil, 
scraping,  and  bathing.  "One  of  the  most  interest- 
ing bits  of  testimony  af- 
forded by  the  paintings  is 
that  many  of  the  events 
were  accompanied  by 
music  ;  casting  the  discus 
and  spear,  and  jumping 
were  at  times  done  to  the 
music  of  the  flute.  Even 
here  the  time  element 
was  never  omitted;  for 
the  sense  of  rhythm  and 
graceful  movement  possessed  the  Greeks  as  no  other 
people.  .  .  .  Homer  delights  to  introduce  us  to  this 
musical  feature  in  the  games,  and  the  artists  have 
often  helped  us  to  appreciate  such  scenes  and  to 
realize  more  fully  the  perfect  sense  of  harmony  that 
filled  the  lives  of  the  Hellenes."  ^  The  study  of 
music  as  an  art  was  also  a  favorite  subject  of  vase 
painting." 

1  Lessons  from  (heek  Pottery,  by  John  Homer  Huddilston,  A.B.,  Ph.D. 
'^  See  Gerard's  L'Educalion  Athenienne,  p.  165  ff. 


Youth  playing  Flute 
Style  of  Brygos 


I50 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


Homeric  Subjects 

In  the  subjects  of  the  Odyssey  and  the  I  Had  vase 
painters  found  a  field  of  the  utmost  attraction.  The 
adventures  of  Odysseus,  his  long  wanderings,  his 
exciting  experiences,  were  their  never-ending  source 
of   inspiration.     The   escape   of   Odysseus  and   his 


Odysseus  and  the  Sirens 

friends  from  the  cave  of  Polyphemos,  and  the  other 
adventures  connected  with  this  event,  were  affairs 
of  special  interest,  most  amusingly  and  graphically 
illustrated  on  a  large  number  of  vases. 

As  for  Achilles,  his  wrath,  his  loss  of  Briseis,  his 
grief  at  the  death  of  Patroklos,  and  the  many  inci- 
dents connected  with  his  career,  —  these  are  recorded 


VASE  PAINTING  IN   GREECE 


151 


again  and  again  on  many  vases  with  a  degree  of 
vigor  and  lively  enthusiasm  that  shows  us  how 
dear  to  the  Greek  heart  was  this  hero  of  gods 
and  men. 

Prehistoric  Ware 

The  earliest  prehistoric  ware  belonging  to  the 
pre- Homeric  period  can  be  divided  into  two  groups  : 
that  which  has  been  found 
at  Hissarlik(Troy),  Thera 
(Santorin),  Rhodes,  and 
the  earliest  vases  from 
Cyprus;  and  that  which 
is  called  Mykeucean  or 
/Egezn  ware,  —  so  called 
because  first  discovered 
at  MykenjE,  Tiryns,  and 
vicinity,  but  specimens  of 
which  have  been  found 
more  recently  even  in 
Egypt,  —  and  the  Geometric,  also  known  at  Athens 
as  the  Dipylon. 

The  vases  found  at  Hissarlik  are  extremely 
simple  in  shape,  merely  spherical  with  mouth  and 
handles  added ;  they  sometimes  rudely  resemble 
the    human    form.     They   are    handmade,   and    if 


Odysseus    announcixg    to 
Achilles  that  he  is  come 

TO    TAKE    AWAY    BrISEIS 
Style  of  Brygos 


152 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


decorated,  are  only  bordered  with  linear  patterns 
scratched  in  the  clay.  At  Cyprus  this  type  shows 
more  intricate  designs,  the  incision  often  being  filled 
wath  white  to  emphasize  the  pattern.  The  color 
is  either  red  or  black.  On  the  island  of  Thera  a 
few    vases    have    been   found    in    graves.     Special 

interest  a  t- 
taches  to  ttiese 
as  we  know 
that  they  were 
buried  by  the 
A  Naval  Fight  eruption    of    a 

volcano  which  occurred  between  two  thousand  and 
eighteen  hundred  years  before  Christ ;  thus  the  date 
is  undoubted.  They  are  varied  in  shape,  made  of 
common  pale  clay,  and  decorated  with  red,  brown,  and 
black  motives  derived  from  animal  and  plant  forms. 

At  Rhodes  forty-three  vases  w^ere  discovered  and 
with  them  a  scarab  bearing  the  cartouch  of  Amen- 
hotep  III,  who  lived  during  the  sixteenth  century 
before  Christ.  They  are  fine  in  workmanship,  glazed, 
and  decorated  with  marine  animals  and  plants. 

In  southern  Italy,  on  the  shores  of  the  Alban 
Lake,  and  on  the  Esquiline,  Rome,  specimens  have 
been    found    similar    in    style,    form,    and    general 


VASE   PAINTING  IN   GREECE  153 

characteristics  to  those  just  described.  These  were 
no  doubt  made  by  the  ancestors  of  the  Romans  in 
prehistoric  times.  Some  were  discovered  in  graves 
buried  under  three  eruptions  of  Monte  Albano. 
The  style  is  coarse ;  they  are  of  red  clay,  hand- 
made, and  imperfectly  glazed.  These  are  probably 
the  most  ancient  examples  of  keramic  art  found  in 
Italy. 

The  Mykenaean  pottery  found  by  Dr.  Schliemann 
in  his  excavations  at  Mykena?  and  at  Tiryns  reached 
its  highest  state  of  development  about  1250  i5.c. 
It  is  therefore  pre- Homeric  and  of  earlier  date  than 
the  Dorian  invasion.  There  seem  to  be  two  kinds 
of  ware  coincident  with  an  earlier  and  a  later  date. 
The  earlier  is  of  a  fine  reddish  clay,  highly  polished, 
with  decorations  in  violet,  red,  or  white,  painted, 
not  incised;  the  later  group  is  much  more  refined, 
showing  a  higher  standard  of  civilization.  The 
clay  is  fine,  carefully  purified  from  all  dross,  of  a 
greenish-yellow  or  rose-pink  color,  and  decorated 
with  bright  red  running  down  to  neutral  orange 
tones  and  black.  The  designs  are  mainly  of  lines, 
wavy,  circular,  and  spiral,  with  animal  and  vegetable 
motives  added.  The  whole  is  finished  in  a  rich 
lustrous  glaze. 


154  "i'^^E  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

DiPYLON  Ware 

A  later  prehistoric  style  is  known  as  the  geo- 
metric. That  made  in  Athens  is  called  the  Dipy- 
lon^  ware  from  the  fact  that  it  was  found  in  great 
numbers  near  the  Dipylon  Gate,  beyond  which  lay 
the  chief  burial  place  of  the  city.  The  color  of 
the  clay  is  pinkish,  and  the  decorative  bands  of  geo- 
metric patterns,  zigzags,  dots,  triangles,  concentric 
circles  and  spirals  are  of  brown.  Sometimes  scenes 
from  everyday  life  or  animals  and  primitive  forms 
fill  the  open  spaces  of  the  bands.  The  decoration 
corresponds  in  character  to  those  early  dolls  or 
images  of  the  gods  which  have  been  found  in 
graves  from  Cos,  Rhodes,  and  Crete.  This  ware, 
manufactured  chiefly  at  Athens,  belongs  to  about 
I  GOO  B.C.  and  lasted  for  several  centuries. 

"  The  Dipylon  vases  are  not,  indeed,  in  their  simpler  examples, 
essentially  different  from  geometrical  vases  found  elsewhere  on 
the  Cireek  mainland  and  the  ^gean  Islands.  .  .  .  The  most 
characteristic  features  of  the  Attic  or  Dipylon  variety  of  the  geo- 
metrical vases  are  the  following :  their  form  is  usually  either  nar- 
row and  very  high,  especially  in  the  neck,  or  else  of  a  squat, 

1  Die  Dipylonvasen,  in  Jahrbuch  des  Archaologischen  Instituts,  1886, 
pp.  95  ff. ;  also  A  New  Vase  of  the  Dipylon  Class,  by  A.  S.  Murray,  in  The 
Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIX,  1899. 


< 
> 

o 


o 

a! 

z 

o 

H 

<; 

si 
O 
u 

a 

Q 


155 


156  THE  GRF:EK  PAINTERS'  ART 

cylindrical  shape,  usually  with  a  flat  lid  and  handles  modeled 
in  the  form  of  horses ;  they  are  frequently  of  enormous  size, 
especially  those  intended  to  be  set  up  as  monuments  over  tombs. 
...  It  is,  however,  the  subjects  represented  on  the  Dipylon 
vases  that  give  them  their  chief  interest.  Men  and  horses  are 
frequently  figured,  both  in  a  conventional  geometrical  style  of 
drawing  that  unduly  elongates  the  limbs  and  makes  the  waist 
unnaturally  slim  ;  the  upper  part  of  the  human  body  is  usually 
a  mere  triangle,  except  when  it  is  covered  by  a  Boeotian  shield ; 
the  head  is  almost  birdlike  in  form. 

"  The  scenes  are  for  the  most  part  appropriate  to  the  desti- 
nation of  the  vases  :  funeral  processions  are  a  favorite  subject, 
and  are  worked  out  with  an  amount  of  detail  which  seems  almost 
inconsistent  with  the  primitive  nature  of  the  drawing.  We  some- 
times see  the  corpse  resting  on  a  hearse  which  is  mounted  on 
wheels  and  overshadowed  by  a  gorgeous  canopy.  Around  and 
beneath  it  are  mourners,  men  and  women,  with  their  hands  to 
their  heads  in  the  conventional  attitude  of  grief.  The  cortege  is 
accompanied  by  numerous  chariots,  and  another  frieze  often  con- 
tains a  band  of  chariots  only,  which  may  be  an  allusion  to  the 
chariot  races  which  usually  formed  a  part  of  funeral  games.  .  .  . 
These  vases  show  us  some  of  the  most  extensive  representations 
of  scenes  from  actual  life  that  are  known  to  us  in  Greek  art ; 
mythological  scenes  are  unusual  upon  Dipylon  vases.  Thus,  so  far 
as  the  choice  of  subject  is  concerned,  the  Dipylon  vase  is  in  the 
same  stage  of  development  that  we  see  in  the  Homeric  descrip- 
tion of  the  shield  of  Achilles."  ^ 

1  Ancient  Athens,  by  Ernest  A.  Gardner,  published  by  The  Macmillan 
Company,  1902. 


VASE  PAINTIN(r  IN   GREECE  157 

Although  the  geometric  vases  were  largely  associ- 
ated with  Athens  they  have  been  found  in  many 
other  places  in  Greece,  and  in  Cyprus  and  other 
islands  of  the  Mediterranean.  In  the  Greek  cities 
of  southern  Italy  the  same  style  was  developed  with 
various  modifications. 

f 

Vases  of  the  Homeric  Period 

Corresponding  to  this  Homeric  period  and  later, 
the  style  of  decoration  changes  and  shows,  par- 
ticularly at  Rhodes  in  the  eighth  and  seventh 
centuries  before  Christ,  distinct  oriental  influences 
by  the  introduction  of  sphinxes,  grii^ns,  and  other 
hybrid  creatures  similar  to  those  found  on  Assyrio- 
Babylonian  ware.  The  human  figure  when  intro- 
duced is  decorative  in  its  treatment.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  the  later  examples  show  by  inscriptions 
upon  them  that  the  Greek  alphabet  was  already 
in  use. 

Melian  ware,  found  on  the  island  of  Melos,  em- 
ployed the  human  figure  as  well  as  the  forms  of 
animals  in  its  decoration.  The  drawing  is  merely 
in  outline  upon  the  natural  color  of  the  vase.  The 
subjects  are  taken  from  Greek  mythology,  but  are 
treated  in  an  oriental  manner. 


158 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


liillliiiil 


It  is  at  Cyprus,  however,  that  the  greatest  activity 
in  keramics  can  be  traced.  The  situation  of  the 
island,  in  the  eastern  end  of  the  Mediterranean, 
made  it  pecuHarly  open  to  the  influences  of  the 
Orient.  The  island  was  originally  a  Phoenician 
settlement  to  which  the  Greeks  came  for  coloniza- 
tion, according 
to  Perrot,  in  the 
tenth  or  ninth 
century  before 
Christ.  There 
are  a  few  early 
Cyprian  types 
of  pottery  which 
even  precede  the 
Greek  coloniza- 
tion. One  is 
somewhat  sim- 
ilar to  the  style  found  at  Hissarhk  (Troy),  —  a  red 
or  black  ware  decorated  with  zigzags  and  geometric 
patterns ;  another  is  contemporary  with  Mykensean 
ware,  —  a  pale  yellow  with  lines  in  neutral  orange 
and  red.  The  usual  type  of  vase,  however,  was 
pale  yellow  decorated  with  grotesque  animal  forms 
or  with  concentric   circles.     Their  shapes  were  as 


.(Eneas  carrying  Anchises 


VASE  PAINTING  IN   GREECE 


159 


grotesque  as  their  decorations,  —  flat,  spherical,  oval, 
or  jug-shaped ;  they  belong  to  about  one  thousand 
to  six  hundred  years  before  Christ. 


Corinthian  Ware 

With  the  Corinthian^  ware  we  come  down  to  the 
period  of  known  history,  to  the  seventh  and  sixth 


Achilles  and  Neoptolemos 

centuries.     Its  peculiarity  is  the  oriental  character 
of  its  decoration.     It  was  undoubtedly  produced  at 

1  The  clay  of  Corinth  contained  only  a  small  portion  of  oxide  of  iron 
compared  with  aluminum,  and  the  Corinthian  vases  are  therefore  pale  in 
color  and  have  a  powdery  surface ;  while  the  clay  found  in  the  territory  of 
Tanagra  in  Boeotia,  the  neighboring  state  to  Attica,  and  in  Attica  itself, 
contained  more  oxide  of  iron  and  was  esteemed  for  its  warm  color,  w'hich 
was  so  greatly  admired  that  the  potters  frequently  added  even  more  of  that 
ingredient. 


i6o 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


or  near  Corinth,  although  examples  are  found  in 
various  parts  of  Greece,  in  Sicily,  and  in  Italy,  to 
which  it  was  exported.  The  characteristics  of  this 
Corinthian  ware  are  distinctly  individual.  Its  color 
is  pale  greenish  yellow,  decorated  in  black  silhouette 
with   bands   of    figures,   usually   animals, — grif^ns, 


Eos,  THE  Dawn,  pursuing 

TiTHONOS 


Youth  kkepixg  Time  ; 
Maiden  dancing 

Style  of  Brygos 


Style  of  Brygos 

sphinxes,  birds,  —  and,  in  the  later  vases,  human 
figures  grouped  to  portray  mythological  scenes. 
Certain  colors  of  red  and  violet  are  used  with  the 
black,  and  the  details  of  the  figures  are  sharply 
emphasized  by  lines  cut  into  the  clay.  In  the 
spaces  unoccupied  by  figures,  rosettes,  stars,  flower 
forms,  and  circles  are  used  which  give  the  band  a 
solid  decorative  effect. 


VASE   PAINTING  IN   GREECE 


l6l 


Naukratis,  a  Greek  colony  in  lower  Egypt,  pro- 
duced a  peculiarly  delicate  white  ware,  on  which 
the  decorations  are  painted  in  neutral  orange  and 
yellow.  The  Cyrene  pottery  is  similarly  white,  dec- 
orated in  black  and  red,  with  bands  of  geometric 
ornament    and    plant    motives;    wine    bowls  —  the 


The  Ghost  of  Patkoklos  hovering  over 
THE  Greek  Fleet 

kylix  —  are  frequent  forms,  decorated  \\'ith  mytho- 
logical scenes,  convivial  feasts,  or  subjects  appro- 
priate to  the  festival. 

Attic  Ware 

Previous  to  the  sixth  century  before  Christ,  Athens, 
probably  on  account  of  her  commercial  importance, 
—  situated  as  she  was  midway  between   the   East 


l62 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


and  the  West,  between  the  islands  of  the  -^gean 
and  the  shores  of  southern  Italy,  —  shows  strongly 
the  influence  of  other  styles  of  ware  upon  her 
own.     From  these  styles  she  appropriated  the  best, 

gradually  learn- 
ing to  perfect 
her  form  and 
to  eliminate  all 
that  was  less 
desirable  both 
in  shape  and  in 
decoration.  By 
the  second  half 
of  the  sixth 
century  before 
Christ  a  digni- 
fied simplicity 
Francois  Vase  —  Etruscan  r    cfyle    hid 

become  the  standard,  while  sober  black  and  red 
alone  w-ere  used  to  give  richness  of  effect  to  the 
decoration,  —  an  effect  which  depended  in  a  great 
measure  upon  the  skill  and  vigorous  handling  of 
the  draughtsman.  Fine  examples  of  this  ware  are 
found  in  widespread  localities,  —  on  the  shores  of 
the   Black  Sea  and  in  Etruscan  cemeteries. 


VASE  PAINTING  IN   GREECE  163 

Of  the  earlier  Attic  vases  which  show  Corin- 
thian influence  some  are  exceedingly  interesting 
on  account  of  the  mythological  subjects  which  fig- 
ure largely  in  their  decoration.  One  of  the  finest 
examples  of  this  early  Attic  ware  is  the  Fran9ois 
vase  in  the  Archaeological  Museum  of  Florence. 
It  is  covered  by  five  horizontal  bands  of  decoration, 
—  single  figures  and  boar,  centaurs  and  horses, 
horsemen  and  chariots,  horseman  and  standing 
figures,  and  winged  grififins  and  ornaments.  The 
main  bands  represent  mythological  subjects,  the 
chief  scene  being  the  marriage  of  Thetis,  the  sea 
goddess,  wath  Peleus.  The  vase  is  signed  by  both 
potter  Klitias  and  painter  Ergotimos,  and  belongs 
to  about  500  B.C. 

Black-Figured  Style 

Of  the  later  more  improved  type  which  lasted 
for  nearly  two  hundred  years  there  are  two  styles, 
both  called  the  black-figured  ware.^  At  first  the 
body  of  the  vase  was  left  red,  the  decorations  being 
added  in  black,  in  bands  or  spots  of  ornament 
or  groups  of  figures.     Following  closely  upon  this 

1  Some  Black-Figured  Vases,  by  H.  B.  Walters,  in  The  Journal  of 
Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XVIII,  1898;  and  Notes  on  Amasis  and  Ionic  Black- 
Figured  Pottery,  by  G.  F.  Hill,  in  same  journal.  Vol.  XIX,  1899. 


1 64  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

method  was  the  opposite  style  in  which  the  body 
of  the  vase  was  painted  black,  the  figures  or  orna- 
mental designs  being  painted  black  against  a  band 
of  red,  which  had  been  left  for  the  purpose  of  dec- 
oration. 

In  point  of  technical  finish  most  of  these  black- 
figured  vases  are  fine  examples  of  the  craftsman's 
art.  The  glaze  is  very  rich,  lustrous,  producing  an 
effect  splendid  in  its  simplicity  and  reserved  dignity. 
Over  the  natural  warm  color  of  the  clay  a  rich 
reddish  color  is  added,  which,  in  contrast  to  the  bril- 
liant black  varnish,  produces  an  effect  of  subdued 
richness  extremely  pleasing.  The  figures  are  out- 
lined with  a  sharp  tool  which  cuts  a  slight  groove. 
The  folds  of  the  garments  are  similarly  though  less 
deeply  cut.  The  colors  of  white  and  dark  red  are 
often  added. 

A  curious  method  of  discrimination  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  human  figure  is  observed.  The  eyes 
of  the  women  are  long  and  almond  shaped ;  those 
of  the  men  are  round.  The  flesh  of  the  women  is 
white,  while  that  of  the  men  is  black.  These  decora- 
tive compositions  are  often  full  of  life  and  movement, 
expressive  of  vigorous  action.  They  are  well  drawn, 
indeed  often  they  are  remarkably  fine  in  proportion 


VASE   PAINTING   IN   GREECE  165 

and  action,  with  we  11 -man aged  groups  in  which 
foreshortened  effects  are  depicted  with  great  skill. 
The  pictures  usually  relate  to  mythological  sub- 
jects in  which  the  gods  and  goddesses,  particularly 
Athena,  figure  prominently.    They  represent  as  well 


The  Marriage  of  Zeus  and  Hera 

almost  every  phase  of  Greek  life,  from  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  festivals  of  the  gods  to  the  sports  and 
games  and  occupations  of  everyday  life. 

Red-Figured  Style 

Contemporary  with  this  style  and  following  it 
we  find  the  reverse  treatment,  in  which  the  entire 
background  is  black,  leaving  the  figures  alone  red. 
With  this  red-figured  ware  the  potter's  art  reached 
its  highest  point  of  development.  Vases  of  this 
character  show  by  their  varied  workmanship,  both 


1 66 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


in  drawing  and  composition,  that  they  covered  a 
long  period  of  time,  reaching  from  the  simplest  and 
crudest  archaic  designs,  called  the  severe  type,  to 

the  most  per- 
fect examples 
of  potter's  and 
painter's  work. 
In  the  severe 
type  the  sub- 
jects relate  to 
every  kind  of 
occupation,  to 
games,  races, 
feasts,  house- 
hold activities, 
and  the  sim- 
ple ordinary 
events  of  the 
daily  life.  The 
names  of  Epik- 
tetos  and  Euphronios  sometimes  occur  on  these 
vases,  but  there  were  many  masters  of  great  ex- 
cellence. 

About  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century  before  Christ 
a  decided  change  appears  in  this  red-figured  ware. 


Sacrifice  to  Dionysos 
Amphora,    severe  style 


VASE  PAINTING  IN  GREECE  167 

The  stiff  archaic  forms  of  the  severe  style  disap- 
pear and  a  fuller,  rounder,  more  dignified  character 
of  decoration  takes  its  place.  Some  strong  influence 
evidently  affected  the  potter's  craft.  DUmmler,  a 
German  scholar,  attributes  this  change  to  the  great 
painter,  Polygnotos,  who  came  to  Athens  about  this 


Scene  from  a  Pottery  :  Painting  the  Vase 

time,  and  whose  large,  noble  style,  idealistic  tend- 
encies, and  strong  ethical  qualities  made  a  deep 
impression  upon  the  painters  who  were  there. 
From  that  time  this  fine  style  assumes  a  first 
rank,  —  a  place  which  it  holds  until  the  decline 
of  Greek  art. 

The  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  Boston,  has  a  particu- 
larly fine  example  of  this  ware  in  the  Orpheus  vase. 
Orpheus,  still  mourning  the  loss  of  Eurydike,  cares 


l68  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

not  for  the  charms  of  other  Thrakian  women,  who 
therefore  put  him  to  death.  The  tragic  story  is  told 
with  a  reserve  and  simphcity  which  indicate  a  mas- 
ter's hand.  The  faces  are  beautiful,  the  attitudes 
full  of  movement  but  not  violence,  and  the  whole 
is  admirably  composed.  The  calmness  of  those 
who  are  about  to  commit  a  violent  deed  is  quite 
consistent  with  the  Greek  idea  of  an  unemotional 
art.  It  is  sculpturesque  in  treatment  and  reminds 
one  of  the  pediment  group  from  the  Temple  of 
Zeus  at  Olympia,  in  which  the  faces  of  the  resist- 
ing women  express  no  anguish  nor  even  violent 
effort,  although  their  attitudes  are  full  of  active 
opposition. 

One  variety  of  this  red-figured  style  has  been 
found  in  large  numbers  in  the  graves  at  Nola,  in 
Campania,  Italy.  These  amphorae  were  probably 
wrought  in  some  pottery  in  Athens,  which  made 
a  specialty  of  a  certain  slender  type.  A  single 
figure,  either  a  youth  or  maiden,  usually  decorates 
one  side ;  opposite  is  often  a  group  of  two,  whose 
forms  are  wrought  in  delicate  lines  expressive  of 
a  master's  individual  touch.  These  slender  figures 
accentuate  the  long  sinuous  curves  of  the  vase. 
A  brilliant  black  glaze  covers  the  surface. 


CO 


■  s 


o 


il 


<; 

PS 

o 
u 

w 

Q 

O 


H 

Q 


169 


I70 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


These  vases  are  varied  both  as  to  style  and 
character  of  workmanship.  Some  of  the  subjects 
are  much  more  carefully  drawn  than  others.  This 
care,  particularly  in  details,  increased  in  later  times 
and  became,  during  the  age  of  Perikles,  a  means  of 
changing  the  character  to  a  large  extent  from  the 


giUIBBlBlMlBBlHHlBllllBllliaBlBlllHIlllMIHlBlillEHii^ 

The  Slaying  of  Aigisthos 
noble,  dignified  style  of  Euphronios  to  a  finer,  more 
complicated  manner  of  expression.  When  not  car- 
ried to  excess  this  delicacy  has  often  a  fascinating 
charm.  The  hair  is  no  longer  treated  in  broad 
masses  but  is  broken  into  smaller  waves.  The  lines 
of  the  drapery,  which  are  drawn  with  great  nicety 
of  finish,  reveal  the  delicate,  tremulous  touch  of  the 
hand  in  an  appealing,  personal  way,  full  of  charm. 


VASE  PAINTING   IN   GREECE 


171 


Lekythoi 
In  the  second  half  of  the  fifth  century  before  Christ 
a  special  kind  of  Athenian  vase  is  found  in  which 
several  colors  were  applied  to 
a  white    ground.     The    white 
color  was   added   to    the   vase 
after  firing  and  its  surface  was 
smoothly  polished.     Upon  this 
surface  the  pictures  were  drawn 
and  various  colors  —  red,  yel- 
low, blue,  violet,  a  neutral 
orange,   and   sometimes  green 
—  were  added  to  complete  the 
effect.    The  colors  were  bright, 
but  so  delicate  that,  unless  the 
vase  were  glazed,  they  quickly 
disappear    upon    exposure    to 
the  air. 

These    Athenian    lekythoi  ^ 
were    used   chiefly    for    burial 
purposes.     The   subjects   of 
their  decoration  were  usually  scenes  from  the  under- 
world.    Both  workmanship  and  color   remind   one 

1  See  Some  Early  Funereal  Lekythoi,  by  R.  C.  Bosanquet,  in  The  Jour- 
nal of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIX,  1899. 


Lkkvthos 


172 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


of  the  figurines  *  from  Tanagra,  which  at  this  time 
and  later  were  popular  throughout  Greece. 

One  writer,  who  was  deeply  impressed  with  the 
splendid  collection  of  vases,  and  of  lekythoi  in  par- 


Three  Women  mourning  beside  a  Dead  Youth 

From  an  Athenian  lekythos 

ticular,  in  the  National  Museum  at  Athens,  says: 
"  These  white  lekythoi  are  the  most  beautiful  prod- 
ucts of  the  keramic  art,  and  belong  exclusively  to 
Attic  art,  although  some  of  them  have  been  found 
at  Eretria.     They  date  from  the  middle  of  the  fifth 

1  See  page  241. 


VASE   PAINTINCx   IN   GREECE 


16 


to  the  middle  of  the  third  century  before  Christ. 
The  drawing  on  these  vases  is  deHcate  yet  free, 
with  a  pure,  almost  severe  outline,  to  the  figures; 
and  these  slight  tints  of  pink  and  blue  are  laid 
on  creamy  white  ground,  and  are  lovely  because 
moderate  in  tone  and  touched  so  lightly. 


••agsmam^mmm 


Thrkk  Figures  at  a  Tomb 
From  an  Athenian  lekythos 

"  Their  form  is  simple,  limited,  and  precise,  but 
of  exquisite  elegance.  The  neck  and  foot  of  the 
vase  arc  covered  with  black  varnish,  and  the  con- 
trast of  black  and  white  is  most  pleasing.  They 
are  exclusively  sepulchral  vessels  with  a  religious 
symbolism,  the  paintings  representing:  first,  a  kind 


174  'I'^E  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

of  funerary  cult,  as  in  the  offering  made  to  a  stele 
where  a  maiden  holds  a  basket  of  flowers  before 
a  monument ;  second,  the  exposition  of  the  dead ; 
third,  the  deposition  in  the  tomb ;  fourth,  the  descent 
to  Hades,  with  the  boat  of  Charon  and  other  scenery 
of  the  world  of  shades. 

"There  is  a  scene  upon  a  funeral  vase  of  the 
deposition  of  the  dead,  where  Thanatos,  angel  of 
death,  with  wings  (we  get  our  winged  angels  from 
Greek  art),  is  laying  down  the  body  of  a  young 
girl  in  the  grave,  reverently  and  softly,  the  draw- 
ing simple  and  clear,  done  rapidly  with  firm  hand 
and  pointed  stylus.  .  .  .  One  noble  picture  I 
remember  is  that  of  a  young  warrior  in  full  armor 
offering  his  shield  at  the  stele  of  a  companion  in 
arms,  his  form  and  face  manly,  and  the  action  full 
of  modest  and  earnest  reverence. 

"  There  is  variety  in  these  scenes  and  groups,  but 
all  is  kept  down  by  severe  taste,  and  evidently  the 
best  artistic  talent  is  made  use  of,  so  that  Greek 
drawing  shows  as  much  skill,  grace,  and  aesthetic 
sentiment  as  Greek  sculpture  or  Greek  architecture. 

"  There  is  another  scene  of  deposition  in  which 
two  angels  are  engaged  in  depositing  carefully  and 
tenderly  the  body  of  a  maiden   in  a  tomb,  while 


t 


.'/! 


i  . 

\ 

,-'■) 

:' 

/; 

.-» 

m 

^...■0-^'i 

4 

■  *^|^^^| 

H 

^^^_J; 

1 

^^ 

^^^ 

Hi 

w 

Q 

<; 

K 
H 
< 

Q 
>< 

M 

o 


?; 


< 

o 
g 

3 
o 


o 

O 


175 


176  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Hermes,  the  god  who  conducts  spirits  to  the  lower 
world,  stands  silently  by  as  a  witness. 

"  Some  of  these  vases  are  of  larger  size,  truly 
superb  objects,  and,  to  my  eye,  they  are  the  most 
lovely  products  of  Greek  genius,  pure  and  deli- 
cate exhalations  of  art,  blending  the  highest  per- 
fection of  form  with  the  subtlest  feeling;  and  they 
show  the  Greeks  to  have  been  a  refined  people 
who,  though  with  a  strong  tendency  to  the  sensu- 
ous, had  thoughts  of  elevated  purity  and  purified 
affection."  ^ 

Apulian  and  Campanian  Ware 

After  the  time  of  Alexander  vase  painting  in 
Greece  ceased  to  create  new  products,  but  in  lower 
Italy,  especially  in  Apulia,  there  developed  what  is 
known  as  the  rich  style.  The  size  of  these  vases 
is  imposing  and  the  ornamentation  most  elaborate. 
The  figures  are  arranged  in  rows  or  grouped  on 
either  side  of  a  central  pillar,  giving  an  impression 
of  splendor  and  gayety.  The  subjects  are  usually 
connected  with  temple  worship  or  ceremonials  for 
the  dead,  in  which  many  figures  play  a  varied  part. 
Sometimes    inscriptions    and    names    explain    the 

1  Greek  Art  on  Greek  Soil,  by  James  M.  Hoppin. 


VASE   PAINTING   IN    GREECE  177 

characters  and  subjects.  Briglit  colors  —  yellow, 
blue,  and  crimson  —  are  used  and  great  freedom  of 
fancy  is  shown. 

The  Campanian  vases  from  Nola,  Capua,  and 
Cumae  are  similar,  but  still  brighter  in  color, 
crowded  with  figures  and  ornaments.  They  show 
some  Greek  influence  but  are  an  individual  type ; 
the  finest  examples  are  to  be  found  in  the  Naples 
Museum. 

By  the  latter  half  of  the  third  century  before  Christ, 
when  Greece  came  under  the  power  of  Rome,  even 
the  manufacture  of  these  had  ceased,  and  the  potters' 
craft  both  in  Greece  and  Italy  lost  its  vitality  and 
became,  like  the  finer  arts  of  painting  and  sculpture, 
a  thing  of  the  past. 

Outside  of  Athens,  whose  National  Archaeologi- 
cal Museum  contains  the  largest  collection  as  well 
as  the  finest  examples  of  Greek  vases,  the  museums 
of  Naples,  Rome,  Berlin,  Munich,  Vienna,  Paris, 
London,  Cambridge,  and  Oxford  all  have  notable 
collections.  In  America  there  are  a  number  of  fine 
examples  to  be  found  in  private  galleries  and  in 
the  collections  of  various  universities  and  colleges. 
Most  of  the  museums  of  our  larger  cities  have  a 
fairly    representative    number.      The    Metropolitan 


178  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

Museum  of  New  York  has  on  exhibition  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  vases,  exclusive  of  the 
splendid  Cesnola  collection  from  Cyprus.  The 
former  represent  the  various  styles  and  periods 
from  earlier  to  later  dates  and  include  some  rare 
examples.  The  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  Boston,  is 
fortunate  in  having  a  collection  that  compares 
favorably  with  those  of  foreign  cities  both  in  num- 
ber and  quality. 

Importance  of  Vase  Painting 

It  is  significant  to  note  the  high  value  which  a 
modern  writer  upon  archaeology  places  upon  Greek 
vase  painting.  He  says:  "It  is  interesting  to  find 
among  the  dedications  discovered  on  the  Akropolis 
during  the  excavations  in  1884- 1885  several  by  the 
great  Athenian  potters  of  the  end  of  the  sixth  century 
before  Christ,  —  Andokides,  Euphronios,  and  others. 
It  is  a  fresh  proof  of  the  wealth  of  these  potters  and 
the  consideration  which  they  enjoyed.  Many  beau- 
tiful fragments  of  vases  bearing  the  names  of  Eu- 
phronios, Hieron,  Skythes,  and  other  vase  painters 
have  also  been  recovered,  and  these,  though  in 
themselves  of  no  very  great  importance,  have  given 
us  evidence  long  looked  for  as  to  the  date  and  source 


VASE   PAINTING   IN   GREECE 


179 


of  the  beautiful  black-figured  and  the  early  red- 
figured  vases  which  now  form  so  prominent  a  part 
of  the  treasures  of  the  great  museums  of  Europe. 


Death  of  Memnon 

"  There  is  no  class  of  ancient  monuments  which 
has  risen  so  rapidly  of  late  years  in  the  estimation 
of  archaeologists.  The  students  who  take  the  pains 
to  understand  Greek  vases  soon  discover  not  only 
that  their  art  is,  within  the  limits  which  it  studiously 
observes,  most  admirable,  but  also  that  they  carry 
with  them  more  of  the  flavor  of  ancient  life  than 


l8o  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

even  sculpture  or  coins.  They  not  only  give  us 
abundant  information  as  to  the  beliefs,  the  cults, 
and  the  customs  of  Greece,  but  they  put  us  at  once, 
if  only  they  have  escaped  restoration  in  modern 
Italian  workshops,  on  terms  of  friendship  with  the 
potter  who  molded  and  the  painter  who  decorated 
them. 

"  Clay  with  its  marvelous  durability  preserves  for 
us  not  only  the  ultimate  design  of  the  worker  but 
his  first  sketch,  his  second  thoughts,  his  mistakes 
and  carelessness,  his  happy  inspirations,  and  the 
obstacles  which  interfered  with  their  realization. 
A  vase  bears  the  same  relation  to  a  sculptured  relief 
that  a  diary  bears  to  a  formal  historical  treatise. 
It  is  more  local,  temporal,  personal. 

"At  the  same  time  vases  are  among  our  most 
serious  documents  in  matters  of  mythology  and 
mythography.  Every  year  they  are  used  more 
and  more  for  comparison  with  the  plots  of  the 
tragedies  of  ^^schylos  and  Euripides  and  the 
lyric  tales  of  Pindar.  Writers  now  apply  the  test 
of  vases,  as  they  are  perfectly  justified  in  doing,  in 
order  to  determine  the  comparative  antiquity  of 
various  versions  of  Attic  myths  and  their  popu- 
larity among  the  people.  ...     In  contact  with  the 


VASE  PAINTING  IN   GREECE 


l8l 


actual  works  of  the  Attic  potters  the  conventional 
compositions  of  the  Alexandrian  mythologists  fall 
to  pieces,  and  we  have  in  their  place  myths  living 


Aphrodite  riding  ox  a  Flying  Swan 

Showing  faint  traces  of  the  first  sketch  by  the  artist 

and  growing,  crossing  and  recrossing,  springing 
from  the  heart  of  the  people  and  finding  expres- 
sion  in   their  customs."  ^ 

1  New  Chapters  in  Greek  History,  by  Percy  Gardner. 


CHAPTER   III 

COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   ARCHITECTURE  AND 

SCULPTURE 

Use  of  color  upon  Greek  temples  —  ALgma.,  Athens,  Sicily,  south- 
ern Italy,  Paistum  —  Color  upon  Doric  and  Ionic  orders  —  Olympic 
temples  and  sculpture  —  Temple  of  Zeus,  Olympia  —  Temple  of 
Theseus,  Athens  —  Athenian  love  of  color  in  dress  —  Its  natural 
application  to  architecture  —  Color  upon  the  Parthenon  —  The  Pro- 
pylaia — Color  applied  to  sarcophagi  —  Alexander  sarcophagus  from 
Sidon  —  Colors  employed  —  Realism  —  Expression  —  Lion  hunt  — 
Archer,  nude  runner,  Alexander  —  Brilliant  effect  —  Color  as  applied 
to  sculpture  of  early  images  and  reliefs  —  Colors  used  —  Votive 
statues  found  on  Akropolis  in  excavations  of  1885  —  Color  on  these 
statues  —  Their  significance  —  Style  of  costume  —  Relation  to  vase 
painting  —  Herakles  and  the  Monster  Typhon  —  Pediment  groups 
with  lion  and  bull — Hermes  —  Statue  of  Zeus,  Olympia  —  Statue 
of  female  figure  from  Delos  — •  Figurines,  number  and  style  from 
Tanagra  and  elsewhere  —  Process  of  making  and  decorating. 

The  study  of  painting  in  Greece  would  not  be 
complete  without  some  mention  of  the  application 
of  color  to  architecture  and  sculpture.  That  color 
was  usually  applied  to  the  stone  after  the  marble 
had  left  the  sculptor's  hands  modern  archaeologists 
agree.  The  fact  is  proved  both  by  the  testimony  of 
ancient  writers  and  by  undisputed  visual  evidence, 

particularly  since  recent  excavations  have  so  greatly 

1S2 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  ARCHITECTURE       183 

added  to  our  store  of  material.  This  chapter,  there- 
fore, is  made  up  of  extracts  from  modern  writers  on 
archaeology,  many  of  whom  have  taken  part  in  those 
recent  excavations  which  have  yielded  such  splendid 
results  to  the  modern  world.  We  have  not,  how- 
ever, cared  to  quote  any  of  the  many  theories  which 
abound  in  archaeological  literature,  preferring  rather 
to  deal  simply  with  statements  of  actual  facts,  about 
whith  there  can  be  no   question. 

The  Use  of  Color  upon  Greek  Temples 

"  For  a  long  time  the  idea  that  painted  decoration 
was  applied  to  Greek  temples  was  rejected  as  insult- 
ing to  Greek  art.  The  polychromy  of  the  temples 
has  been  admitted  in  our  own  day,  and  then  only 
after  long  discussion.  This  is  not  the  place  to  re- 
call the  several  phases  of  the  discussion,  nor  to 
show  how  modern  prejudice  has  slowly  yielded  to 
the  logic  of  facts. 

"  To  Hittorf  belongs  the  credit  of  having  united 
the  arguments  in  favor  of  polychromy,  according 
to  which  every  part  of  the  temple  was  coated  with 
striking  colors,  under  which  the  whiteness  of  the 
marble  entirely  disappeared.  A  more  moderate  the- 
ory, representing  a  system  of  partial  monochromy, 


i84 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


admits  tlie  use  of  painting  in  a  manner  more  re- 
strained and  more  in  keeping  witli  the  sober  taste 
of  the  Greeks. 

"  Furthermore,  it  has  been  proved  that  polychromy 
varied  according  to  the  epoch,  in  a  retrogressive 
movement;  at  first  applied  liberally  to  the  stucco 


Temple  of  Neptune,  P^stum 

which  coated  archaic  temples,  it  was  reduced  with 
the  progress  of  time  and  with  the  better  taste  of 
the  schools.  .  .  .  The  traces  of  painting  observed 
in  various  architectural  members  of  the  temples  in 
^gina,  Athens,  Sicily,  and  Magna  Groecia  aid  in 
the  reconstruction  of  the  painted  decoration  of  the 
Doric  temples  of  the  sixth  and  fifth  centuries  before 
Christ.   In  the  time  of  Peisistratos  the  columns  appear 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED   TO  ARCHITECTURE       185 


to  have  been  painted  a  pale  yellow ;  the  color  was 
applied  to  the  stucco  coating  of  the  stone,  which 
offered  a  fine  and  smooth  surface  to  receive  it. 

"  It  is  not  known  whether  it  was  customary  to 
paint  the  capital  ;  the  capitals  of  the  portico  at 
Poestum,  however,  should  be  mentioned  where  the 


.„^r-JS^r^* 


Temple  of  Athena,  ^^gina 

painted  palm  leaves  are  still  visible,  the  remainder 
of  the  stone  having  been  corroded  by  the  sea  air. 

"  The  architrave  in  ^gina  was  painted  in  a  uni- 
form red  tint,  which  served  as  a  background  for 
the  gilded  shields  and  for  votive  inscriptions  in 
metallic   letters.      Above   the   architrave   the   frieze 


1 86  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

presented  alternate  triglyj:)lis  in  Ijlue  and  metopes 
in  red;  on  tlie  red  background  of  the  metopes 
carved  bas-reliefs,  with  their  accessories  of  gilded 
bronze,  stood  out  most  distinctly.  The  mutules 
of  the  cornice  were  blue. 

"  In  the  pediment  the  tympanum  had  a  blue  back- 
ground, throwing  into  relief  the  sculptured  figures 
within  it ;  the  moldings  surrounding  the  tympa- 
num were  decorated  either  with  red  and  green 
leaves,  or  with  red  and  blue  leaves.  Add  to  this, 
above  the  entablature,  gutters  colored  in  vivid 
hues,  tiles,  acroteria,  antefixes  of  marble  or  of 
terra  cotta  decorated  with  ])alm  leaves  or  with 
Gorgons'  heads,  and  one  may  form  some  con- 
ception of  archaic  polychromy,  wnth  its  decided 
tints,  which  are  in  ])erfect  accord  with  the  austere 
lines  of  the  early  Doric. 

"When  the  proportions  of  the  temple  became 
more  elegant,  and  marble  was  substituted  for 
stone,  and  in  consequence  more  finished  work 
was  required,  the  colors  were  distributed  less  lav- 
ishly than  before.  The  Ionic  order,  especially, 
employed  polychromy  with  refinement  and  mod- 
eration. The  delicate  lines,  the  exquisite  chisel- 
ing of  the  marble,  which   ran  like  lace  around  the 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED   TO  ARCHITECTURE       187 

gorgerins  of  the  capitals  and  under  the  voluted 
abacus,  could  not  be  hidden  under  a  bed  of 
color, 

"  The  color  merely  outlined  these  features  in 
order  to  bring  them  out  from  the  whiteness  of 
the  marble,  flooded  as  it  was  with  glowing  light ; 
and  to  the  vivid  reds  and  blues  were  added 
the  brilliancv  of 


^L-^'  T.     --[ji 


K 


gilding.    This  is 

proved  by  an  in-     > 

scription   of    the    \    \     - , 

ninety-second 

Olympiad,  giving 

the   account   of  Ionic  Capital,  showing  Color 

some  expenses  of  the  Erechtheion.  We  find  there 
mentioned  '  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  leaves  of  gold 
at  one  drachma  each,'  which  were  intended  for  the 
gilding  of  the  eyes  of  the  volutes  and  for  the  orna- 
mental work  in  the  ceiling.  But  here,  as  in  the 
Doric  order,  there  was  no  rigid  system ;  the  use  of 
polychromy  varied  with  the  tastes  of  architects  and 
with  the  traditions  of  the  schools. 

"  Observations  made  upon  the  ruins  of  Ionic  edi- 
fices at  Priene,  Didymi,  Ephesus,  Halicarnassus, 
and    Athens    make    it    possible    to    note    to    what 


1 88  THE  GREF:K   PAINTERS'  ART 

extent  polychromy  was  associated  with  the  Ionic 
order.  Two  colors,  red  and  blue,  were  principally 
used.  The  former  was  reserved  for  backgrounds 
and  for  parts  in  the  shade,  which  it  brought  out 
with  its  deep  tints ;  thus  at  Halicarnassus  the 
ruins  of  the  mausoleum  show  us  rows  of  carved 
pearls  standing  out  from  a  red  background ;  some- 
times red  was  employed  to  outline  the  egg  and 
dart  ornament  on  the  darts  and  on  the  shell  of 
the  ovules. 

"  Blue  was  applied  to  the  higher,  more  lighted 
surfaces,  —  to  the  bases  of  the  ovules,  for  instance, 
—  while  the  more  salient  details  remained  white. 
From  this  arrangement  a  harmony  of  colors  resulted, 
subdued  and  yet  brilliant,  warm  and  intense  shad- 
ows, blues  softened  by  the  sunlight,  and  finally  the 
exquisite  carvings,  preserving  on  their  more  salient 
surfaces  the  brilliant  whiteness  of  the  marble  in  all 
its  purity. 

"  The  laws  of  polychromy  can  be  rigorously  estab- 
lished only  after  a  minute  study  of  all  the  data, 
which  seems  not  yet  to  have  been  made.  It  can 
at  least  be  said  at  present  that  in  all  points  it  was 
in  perfect  harmony  with  Greek  genius.  This  sys- 
tem, so  contrary  to  our  modern  tastes  and  to  our 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED   TO  ARCHPrECTURE       189 

views  as  to  the  divisions  between  the  arts,  teaches 
us  once  more  to  what  an  extent,  in  the  soul  of 
the  Greek,  the  most  diverse  arts  could  be  made  to 
unite  for  a  common  object.  We  can,  furthermore, 
but  imperfectly  understand  Greek  pol)  chromy  if  we 
fail  to  remember  the  conditions  of  climate  which 
rendered  it  almost  necessary.  In  that  golden  light 
the  uniform  tint  of  marble  would  have  been  mo- 
notonous ;  details  would  have  been  lost  in  the 
unbroken  white  sheen,  which  the  brilliancy  of  the 
summer  sun  would  have  rendered  almost  blinding. 
It  was  necessary  to  accent  the  chaste  lines  of  the 
edifice,  to  give  distinct  effect  to  the  details  of 
exquisite  workmanship,  and  to  brighten  them  by 
brilliant  hues,  which  wonderfully  harmonized  with 
the  clear  radiance  of  the  sunlit  heavens."  ^ 

Or.vMPiA 

"  The  color  used  on  these  walls  and  on  the 
walls  of  other  Greek  temples  must  have  made 
their  appearance  quite  different  from  our  common 
notion  of  them.  They  shone  in  strong,  positive  col- 
ors.    Under  the  brilliant  heavens  of  Greece  these 

1  A  Manual  of  Ciieek  A icli apology,  l)y  Maxime  Collignon,  translated  by 
John  Henry  Wright. 


I90  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

structures   responded   to   the   warm    sky  tints   and 
the  hvely  imaginations  of  the  people. 

"  The  primitive  colors  were  employed  in  mural 
painting,  —  red,  yellow,  blue,  black,  and  sometimes 
violet,  —  but  in  a  variety  of  hues  and  decorative 
patterns,  combined  also  with  gold  and  bronze 
ornamentation.  The  use  of  color  on  statues  was, 
undoubtedly,  more  modified,  but  one  may  be  sure 
that  the  painting  which  was  laid  on  the  most 
beautiful  marble  statues  was  sparing  and  without 
injury  to  them,  with  a  chaste  and  exquisite  taste 
that  did  not  merge  into  the  coarsely  realistic."  ^ 

Temple  of  Zeus,  Olympia 

"  The  metopes  by  an  unknown  artist,  from  the 
Temple  of  Zeus,  representing  the  various  labors 
of  Herakles,  though  showing  the  same  qualities 
of  art,  are  certainly  more  pleasing  than  the  pedi- 
mental  groups.  They  are  not,  indeed,  without 
rudeness  and  stiffness,  but  in  their  backward  style 
there  is  the  charm  which  so  usually  marks  the 
works  of  early  Greek  art,  but  which  the  pediments 
have  lost,  without  getting  knowledge  and  mastery 
in  exchange. 

^  Greek  Art  on  Greek  Soil,  by  James  M.  Hoppin. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED    TO  ARCHITECTURE      191 

"  One  of  the  most  marked  characteristics  of  the 
metopes  is  the  want  of  elaboration  in  detail.  The 
hair  and  beard  of  the  figures  are  merely  blocked 


Metope  from  the  Temple  of  Zeus 
Herakles  cleaning  the  Stable  of  Augeias 

out ;  the  parts  of  the  garments  are  not  clearly  dis- 
tinguished from  one  another.  Critics  have  long  seen 
that   the   artist  who   made   these  groups   evidently 


192 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


trusted  chiefly  to  the  use  of  color  for  the  effect  of 
his  compositions.  An  actual  discovery  has  entirely 
verified  this  conjecture. 

"Among  the  discoveries  is  a  head  of  Herakles, 
from    that    metope    wherein    he    is    strangling   the 


Metote  from  the  Temple  of  Zeus 
Herakles  capturing  the  Cretan  Bull 

lion.  Of  this  head,  the  hair  and  eyes  still  bear 
distinct  traces  of  color.  In  the  group  of  Herakles 
and  the  bull,  the  background  was  blue  and  the 
body  of  the  bull  brown.  Another  metope  has  a 
red  background. 


COLOR  AS  appli?:d  to  architecture     193 


"  It  is  thus  quite  certain  that  the  sculpture  of 
the  metopes  of  the  temple  was  painted  through- 
out, and,  indeed,  the  pedimental  groups  were  also 
painted,  for  a  part  of  the  chlamys  worn  by  the 
middle  figure  of  the  western  pediment  has  been 
found,  still  stained 
with  a  deep  red 
color.  And  color 
was  not  confined  to 
the  sculptures. 

"All  the  buildings 
of  Doric  order  at 
Olympia  are  largely 
colored  in  red  and 
blue.  The  pillars 
are  not  colored,  but 
the  triglyphs  are  of 
an  intense  blue,  the 
abacus  beneath 
them  red.  Of  the 
cornices  the  cymatia  have  blue  and  red  leaves  alter- 
nately, and  the  vice  are  blue  and  red.  It  is  clear 
from  these  very  exact  indications  that  we  shall 
always  greatly  misjudge  Greek  architecture  and 
sculpture  if  we  think  of  them  as  cold  and  colorless. 


fmKtu^nm 


,.f-'---r«p-'5ssJ.-»i*  •!,■ 


■■^'Mpy 


Architixtural  Details  from 
Olympia,  showing  Color 


194  1'^E  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Although  the  colors  of  the  ancients  may  seem 
crude  and  their  juxtaposition  harsh,  yet  it  is  certain 
that  the  climate  of  Greece  requires  that  the  bril- 
liancy of  marble  should  be  moderated  by  color  of  a 
strong  degree.  The  Athens  of  our  day,  because 
the  mansions  in  it  are  built  of  pure  white  marble, 
is  most  dazzling  to  the  eyes,  and  all  beauty  of  form 
in  the  buildings  is  lost  amid  the  glare  of  the  cloud- 
less Athenian  sky."  ^ 

The  Temple  of  Theseus  at  Athens 

"  The  Theseion  has  preserved  to  a  remarkable 
degree  the  traces  of  the  colors  with  which  it  was 
originally  painted  ;  there  is  some  conflict  of  evidence 
as  to  details,  especially  since  much  of  what  once 
existed  has  disappeared  within  the  last  half  century 
or  so.  It  seems  fairly  clear,  however,  that  here  as 
elsewhere  the  broader  masses,  such  as  columns  and 
architraves,  were  left  plain,  and  that  the  coloring 
was  confined  either  to  the  smaller  moldings  or  to 
such  surfaces  as  were  subdivided  in  detail. 

"  Thus,  the  triglyphs  were  blue,  and  the  mutules 
also,  while  the  drops  projecting  from  the  latter  were 
red,  and  red  was  also  used  for  other  small  surfaces. 

1  New  Chapters  in  Greek  History,  by  Percy  Gardner. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  ARCHFrECTURE       195 

The  background  of  the  metopes,  too,  was  red, 
while  that  of  the  continuous  frieze  over  the  inner 
columns  was  blue.  And  in  many  cases  where  the 
color  is  lost,  the  various  weatherings  of  the  surface 
show  the  leaf  pattern  and  other  designs  that  once 
ornamented  the  moldings. 


Templk  of  Theseus,  Athens 

"  A  much-disputed  question  is  whether  such  pat- 
tern ever  existed  on  the  echinus  of  the  capital ;  but 
the  balance  of  evidence,  as  well  as  of  probability, 
appears  to  favor  the  opinion  that  the  echinus  was 
left  plain.  .  .  . 

"  The  metopes  are  not  all  sculptured  but  only 
those   of    the   east    front,   ten   in   number,   and  the 


196  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

four  on  each  side  adjoining  the  east  front.  These 
metopes  liave  all  suffered  greatly  from  the  weather, 
and  many  of  them  are  barely  distinguishable  at 
present.  .  .  .  The  ten  metopes  of  the  east  front 
represent  the  labors  of  Herakles,  and  the  other  eight 
on  the  sides  represent  the  exploits  of  Theseus. 
Although  so  little  is  left,  the  scenes  and  the  actions 
correspond  so  closely  with  the  treatment  of  the 
same  subjects  on  Attic  vases,  that  it  has  been 
possible  to  recover  almost  completely  the  original 
compositions."  ^ 

"  To  those  who  desire  to  studv  the  effect  of  the 
Doric  order,  this  temple  [of  Theseus]  appears  to  me 
an  admirable  specimen.  From  its  small  size  and 
clear  position,  all  its  points  are  very  easily  taken  in. 
.  .  .  '  Its  beauty  defies  all ;  its  solid  yet  graceful  form 
is,  indeed,  admirable ;  and  the  loveliness  of  its  color- 
ing is  such  that,  from  the  rich  mellow  hue  which 
the  marble  has  now  assumed,  it  looks  as  if  it  had 
been  quarried,  not  from  the  bed  of  a  rocky  moun- 
tain, but  from  the  golden  light  of  an  Athenian 
sunset'  I  have  only  one  reservation  to  make.  The 
Doric  order  being  essentially  massive,  it  seems  to 
me  that  this  temple  lacks  one  essential  feature  of 

1  Ancient  Athens,  by  Ernest  A.  Gardner. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  ARCHrPECTURE       197 

that  order  in  which  it  is  built,  and  therefore,  after 
the  first  survey,  after  a  single  walk  about  it,  it  loses 
to  the  traveler  who  has  seen  Peestum,  and  who 
presently  cannot  fail  to  see  the  Parthenon,  that 
peculiar  effect  of  massiveness  —  of  almost  Egyptian 
solidity  —  which  is  ever  present,  and  ever  imposing, 
in  these  huger  Doric  temples. 

"  It  seems  as  if  the  Athenians  themselves  felt  this, 
—  that  they  felt  the  plain  simplicity  of  its  style  was 
not  effective  without  size,  and  that  they  accordingly 
decorated  this  structure  with  colors  more  richly 
than  their  other  temples.  All  the  reliefs  and  raised 
ornaments  seem  to  have  been  painted.  Other  deco- 
rations were  added  in  color  on  the  fiat  surfaces,  so 
that  the  whole  temple  must  have  been  a  mass  of 
rich  variegated  hues,  of  which  blue,  green,  and  red 
are  still  distinguishable,  and  in  which  bronze  and 
gilding  certainly  played  an  important  part.  .  .  , 

"  Say  what  we  will,  the  Greeks  were  certainly,  as 
a  nation,  the  best  judges  of  beauty  whom  the  world 
has  yet  seen.  .  .  .  We  cannot  but  feel  that,  had  the 
effect  of  painted  temples  and  statues  been  tawdry, 
there  is  no  people  on  earth  who  would  have  felt  it 
so  keenly,  and  disliked  it  so  much.  There  must, 
then,  have   been    strong    reasons   why   this    bright 


198  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

coloring  did  not  strike  their  eye  as  it  would  the  eye 
of  sober  moderns.  .  .  .  Where  all  the  landscape,  the 
sea,  and  the  air  are  exceedingly  bright,  we  find  the 
inhabitants  increasing  the  brightness  of  their  dress 
and  houses,  as  it  were,  to  correspond  with  nature. 
Thus  in  southern  Italy  they  paint  their  houses 
pink  and  yellow,  and  so  give  to  their  towns  that  rich 
and  warm  effect  which  we  miss  so  keenly  among 
the  gray  and  sooty  streets  of  northern  Europe.  So 
also  in  their  dress  these  people  wear  scarlet,  and 
white,  and  rich  blue,  not  so  much  in  patterns  as  in 
large  patches,  and  thus  a  festival  in  Sicily  or  in 
Greece  fills  the  street  with  intense  color.  .  .  .  We 
must,  therefore,  imagine  the  old  Greek  crowd  before 
their  temples,  or  in  their  market-places,  a  very  white 
crowd,  with  patches  of  scarlet  and  various  blue, 
perhaps  altogether  white  in  processions,  if  we  except 
scarlet  shoe  straps  and  other  such  slight  relief.  One 
cannot  but  feel  that  a  richly  colored  temple,  that 
pillars  of  blue  and  red,  that  friezes  of  gilding,  and 
other  ornament,  upon  a  white  marble  ground,  and 
in  white  marble  framing,  must  have  been  a  splen- 
did and  appropriate  background,  a  genial  feature, 
in  such  a  sky  and  with  such  a  costume."  ^ 

^  Rambles  and  Studies  in  Greece,  by  J.  P.  Mahaffy. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED    TO  ARCHITECTURE      199 


The  Polychromy  of  the  Parthenon 

"  In  taking  the  measurements  necessary  to  de- 
termine the  curvatures  and  other  dehcate  adjust- 
ments of  the  Parthenon,  it  was  impossible  not  to 
be  attracted  by  the  evident  though  generally  faint 


The  Parthenon 

traces  of  ancient  coloring  which  occasionally  met 
the  eye.  .  .  .  There  are  several  traces  of  mediaeval 
painting  on  the  cella  walls,  which  have  led  some 
persons  to  imagine  that  all  color  found  on  the 
temple  belongs  to  a  period  subsequent  to  its  erec- 
tion.     But    after    attentive    examination,    the   bad 


200  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

drawing  and  poverty  of  material  in  the  mediaeval 
portions  above  mentioned  became  so  evident,  and 
such  fitness  of  design  and  excellence  of  material 
and  execution  in  the  ornaments  which  I  am  about 
to  describe,  that  it  is  impossible  to  resist  the  con- 
clusion, not  only  that  the  latter  are  Greek  paintings, 
but  that  they  are  coeval  with  the  building  of  the 
temple. 

"On  the  eastern  front  inscriptions^  were  placed 
between  the  shields,  of  which  the  regular  marks, 
still  visible,  are  the  sole  remains.  The  fret  and 
honeysuckle  ornament  were  painted  on  the  taenia, 
or  architrave  band,  and  guttae  tablets  respectively. 
The  design  of  the  first  could  be  distinctly  traced  in 
several  places ;  of  the  second,  only  a  single  instance 
under  the  southwest  angle  triglyph  towards  the  west 
has  been  preserved. 

"  Of  the  color  once  applied  to  these  ornaments 
there  are  no  remains,  but  the  marble  under  the 
ornament  has  been  better  preserved  than  the  adjoin- 
ing parts  by  the  pigment,  so  that  it  is  at  present 
distinguished  by  its  more  even  surface.  In  many 
places  the  original  setting  outlines  remain,  supply- 
ing sufficient  authority  for  the  restoration.  .  .  . 

1  Since  thought  to  be  later  additions. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  ARCHPrECTURE      20 1 

"  How  far  the  plain  surfaces  of  the  corona  archi- 
trave and  columns  were  painted  in  flat  color  must 
probably  remain  a  matter  of  conjecture ;  there 
seems,    however,  some    slight  ground    of    evidence 


Parthenon:  Fragmknt  of  Fret  and  Honeysuckle 
Pattern,  showing  Color 

that  a  peculiar  yellow  tinge  upon  some  parts  of 
the  columns,  especially  of  the  west  front,  is  not 
simply  the  -yellow  said  to  result  from  the  oxidiza- 
tion of  iron  contained  in  the  Pentelic  marble,  but 
has  been  applied  externally  as  a  tint,  though  perhaps 


202  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

SO  delicately  as  merely  to  reduce  the  high  light  of 
the  marble  when  new,  without  greatly  obscuring  its 
crystalline  luster/ 

"  The  architrave,  corona,  and  perhaps  the  sculp- 
ture may  have  been  treated  in  a  similar  way.  The 
cymatium  was  adorned  with  a  row  of  honeysuckles 
surrounded  by  a  figure,  oval  at  the  top  and  divid- 
ing itself  into  double  scrolls  at  the  bottom ;  the 
traces  of  these  were  sufficiently  evident,  but  those 
of  the  intermediate  leaf  between  the  honeysuckles 
w^ere  so  faint  that  it  was  impossible  to  decide  the 
exact  number  of  its  divisions.  .  .  .  On  the  lower 
part  of  the  hawk's-beak  molding  some  faint  traces 
of  blue  and  red  were  to  be  seen.  This  molding 
is  adorned  with  a  pattern  of  very  usual  occurrence 
in    Greek    Doric    and   which   bears  a   considerable 

1  It  would  be  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the  ancients  entirely  con- 
cealed or  even  materially  altered  in  appearance  the  general  surfaces  of  the 
marble  which  they  made  a  great  point  of  obtaining  whenever  possible ; 
but  no  one,  who  has  witnessed  the  painfully  dazzling  effect  of  fresh  Pen- 
telic  marble  under  an  Athenian  sun,  will  deny  the  artistic  value  of  toning 
down  the  almost  pure  white  of  its  polished  surface,  and  the  more  so  when 
some  portions  of  the  architecture  were  painted  in  strong  positive  colors. 
We  need  not  suppose  this  tone  to  have  produced  more  than  the  dif- 
ference between  fresh  white  marble  and  ivory.  We  learn  from  Pliny 
(Hist.  Nat.,  XXXVI,  23)  that  milk  and  saffron  mixed  with  the  lime  were 
used  to  produce  a  delicate  color  in  frescoes.  Plutarch  speaks  of  certain 
monumental  marbles  in  Euboea  which  presented,  when  rubbed,  the  smell 
and  even  the  color  of  saffron.  Or  we  may  perhaps  suppose  that  the  ocher 
of  Mount  Laurium  was  used. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  ARCHITECTURE      203 

resemblance  to  certain  forms  of  Greek  ornament. 
There  were  some  faint  traces  of  blue  in  the  lower 
part  of  this  molding.  .  .  .  On  a  narrow  fillet  below 
was  a  distinct  trace  of  verdigris  green. 

"  The  mutules  afforded  the  next  evidence  of  color. 
Their  edges  and  sofifits^  were  painted  deep  blue,  of 
which  color  there  were  undoubted  remains  about 
the  middle  of  the  east  front.  The  soflfits  and  \'er- 
tical  spaces  of  the  divisions  between  the  mutules 
were  unmistakably  red,  which  color  extended  also 
in  a  narrow  fillet  underneath  the  mutules.  .  .  . 
The  sofBt  of  the  cornice  between  the  mutules 
at  the  angles  of  the  building  was  adorned  with 
painted  figures,  composed  of  honeysuckles  con- 
nected by  scrolls,  which  seemed  to  be  different  at 
the  four  angles  of  the  temple.  .  .  . 

"  Inside  the  channels  of  the  triglyphs  of  the  east- 
ern front  very  positive  and  well  preserved  portions  of 
blue  were  to  be  found,  and  other,  but  fainter,  traces 
on  the  face  above  the  triglyphs.  The  capital  of  one 
of  the  north  anta^  has  preserved  considerable  traces 
of  color." 

^  Soffits  are  the  underside  of  a  molding  or  member. 

2  Similar  traces  of  blue  were  observed  on  the  triglyphs  and  mutules 
of  the  Theseion.  The  remains  of  the  Temple  of  Jupiter  I'anhellenius  in 
yEgina  give  similar  evidence  but  much  more  distinctly. 


204  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

"  There  are  very  slight  remains  of  color,  if  any, 
on  the  sculptures.  I  am  not  aware  of  any  except 
a  slight  trace,  which,  however,  appeared  to  me  of 


Parthenon  :  Metope 


rather  a  doubtful  character,  on  the  metope  which 
had  been  recently  disinterred  and  is  now  preserved 
on  the  Akropolis,  Some  authorities  have  supposed 
a  blue   background   behind   the   sculptures  of   the 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  ARCHITECTURE      205 

Panathenaic  frieze.  But  on  this  point  positive 
assertions  are  not  justified  in  the  absence  of 
remains."  ^ 


The  Propylaia,  Athens  :   Portion  of  Ceiling  of  the 

Central  Portico 

"  A  very  large  mass  of  fragments  belonging  to 
this  as  well  as  to  the  other  ceilings  of  the  Propylaia 
remain,  and  vestiges  of  the  coloring  have  been  pre- 
served in  many  instances.  The  plinth  of  the  cen- 
tral hall  is  composed  of  black  marble,  above  which 
all  is  white.  W^e  may  presume  that  the  walls 
above  the  plinth  were  painted,  or  at  least  intended 
for  painting,  in  historical  subjects;  but  of  these,  if 
they  existed,  no  vestiges  were  to  be  found,  nor  yet 
of  those  described  by  Pausanias  in  the  northern 
wing,  which  were  already  partly  obliterated  in  his 
time. 

"  The  o\'olo  moldings  of  both  architrave  and 
beams  were  enriched  with  the  egg  and  dart  orna- 
ment very  clearly  defined.  The  sofiits  of  the  cof- 
fers were  ornamented  with  stars  and  flowers.  In 
some  of  these  the  blue  ground  was  very  positive, 


^  Principles   of  Athenian    Architecture,   by   Francis   Cranmer   Penrose, 
M.A.,  F.R.A.S. 


2o6 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


as  also  a  narrow  line  of  bright  green  on  the  mar- 
gin of  the  soffits.  The  ovolo  moldings  had  distinct 
traces  of   the   egg  and    dart   ornament  on  a  blue 


Parthenon  :  Metope 


ground.  The  small  fillets  underneath  them  appear 
to  have  been  red.  Traces  of  blue  were  found  on 
the  underside  of  the  divisions  between  the  coffers. 
The  beads  of  these  divisions  are  uncut,  but  had  a 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  ARCHITECTURE      207 

pearl  or  ornament  painted  on  them.  On  each  side 
of  the  beads  fine  Hnes  were  cut  for  the  purpose  of 
defining  colored  margins,  one  of  which  is  the  blue 
just  mentioned,  the  other  green. 

Vestiges  of  Painting  and  of  the  Colored  Ornaments 
observed  on  the  exterior 

"  The  cymatium  was  adorned  with  the  egg  and 
tongue  pattern  of  a  large  size,  indicated  very  posi- 
tively by  the  usual  incised  line.  The  hawk's-beak 
molding  crowning  the  coronas  both  of  the  raking 
and  horizontal  cornice  had  the  pattern  of  Egyp- 
tian character,  alternately  red  and  blue,  as  in  other 
examples.  On  the  vertical  face  .  .  .  faint  traces  of 
red  were  visible.  The  soffit  between  the  mutules 
appeared  to  be  red.  One  fragment  retained  dis- 
tinct though  incomplete  traces  of  a  honeysuckle. 
The  sides,  soffit,  and  front  of  the  mutules  bore 
also  distinct  traces  of  blue.  The  guttae  showed  no 
remains  of  color  except  on  the  underside,  where  a 
circular  ring  was  traced,  which  formerly  was  distin- 
guished with  color  or  with  gold. 

"  A  comparison  of  these  with  other  examples 
seems  to  point  out  that  it  was  the  general  prac- 
tice among  the  Greeks  to  decorate  moldings  of  a 


2o8  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

curvilinear  profile  with  patterns  composed  principally 
of  curves ;  and  flat  bands  and  strings  with  recti- 
linear figures.  Although  the  honeysuckle  occasion- 
ally occurs  on  flat  surfaces,  no  instance  seems  to 
have  been  found  of  a  curved  profile  decorated  with 
a  labyrinth  fret  or  other  right-line  pattern."^ 

Color  as  applied  to  Sculptured  Reliefs  on 

Sarcophagi 

Modern  excavations  have  brought  to  light  many 
wonderful  discoveries.  Of  these  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  is  that  of  the  royal  necropolis  at  Sidon, 
where  were  found  several  sarcophagi  showing  dis- 
tinct traces  of  color.  The  account  of  these  dis- 
coveries, of  which  a  full  description  is  given  in 
the  book  referred  to  below,^  describes  quite  fully 
the  scheme  of  color  employed  in  their  decoration. 

Alexander  Sarcophagus 

The  largest  is  called  the  sarcophagus  of  Alexan- 
der, and  dates  about  300  B.C.  It  is  encircled  around 
the  four  sides  by  a  frieze  or  band   of  decoration ; 

1  Principles  of  Athenian  Architecture,  by  Francis  Cranmer  Penrose, 
M.A.,  F.R.A.S. 

2  Une  Necropole  Royale  a  Sidon,  par  O.  Hamdy-Bey  et  Theodore 
Reinach,  Paris,   1892. 


o 


u 

X 
H 

o 
w 
w 

I— I 


C/2 

o 

K 

Ph 

O 
u 

Pi 
< 

CO 

Q 

< 
X 

a 
< 


209 


2IO  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

the  subjects  of  the  longer  sides  are  Alexander  and 
Darius  Hunting  and  the  Battle  between  the  Greeks 
and  Persians.  In  his  account  of  the  color,  the 
author  says : 

"  Thus  the  colorer  of  the  sarcophagus  of  Alex- 
ander proceeds :  his  palette  allows  six  colors,  which 
the  action  of  time  preserves  unequally  but  whose 
persistence  denotes  an  excellent  chemical  composi- 
tion: violet,  purple,  red  —  value  intermediate  between 
carmine  and  vermilion  —  brow^n-red,  yellow,  and  blue. 
They  have  been  applied  pure  and  show  themselves 
less  concerned  in  obtaining  the  illusion  of  reality 
than  the  harmonious  choice  of  tones  and  the  oppo- 
sition of  complementary  colors.  .  .  . 

"  The  antithesis  between  the  nude  and  the  dra- 
peries, between  the  one-colored  chlamys  of  the 
Greeks  and  the  variegated  stuffs  of  the  barbarians, 
is  a  fertile  source  of  pleasing  contrast.  The  artist 
reproduces  with  precision  but  without  stiffness 
the  complicated  tints  of  the  oriental  stuffs.  The 
tunics  have  a  uniform  background  of  blue,  purple, 
red,  embroidered  in  many  colored  little  squares  or 
ornamented  with  a  surface  pattern  of  brilliant  col- 
ors. He  gives  to  the  outer  garment  the  body  of  one 
color,  the  sleeves  of  another,  the  cuffs  of  a  third; 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  SCULPTURE  211 


y 


often  even  the  outer  part  and  the  hning  are  of  dif- 
ferent tones.  He  produces  with  no  less  skill  the 
texture  of  the  under-gar- 
ment,  a  kind  of  striated, 
dotted,  or  spotted  web, 
or  the  saddle  trappings 
with  their  dazzling  laces 
and  their  fine  embroid- 
eries. 

"  In  the  armor,  the 
colors  are  often  used  as 
a  substitute  for  metal ; 
yellow  stands  for  gold 
and  copper,  blue  for  iron; 
the  hollow  of  the  shields 
is  red  or  bright  blue. 
On  two  helmets  we  per- 
ceive doubtful  traces  of 
gilding  which  are  perhaps 
only  particles  of  ochcr 
exceptionally  w^ell  pre- 
served. It  is  the  clothing  Alexander  Sarcophagus: 
and  arms  especially  that  Details  from  the  Frieze 
furnish  the  elements  of  this  brilliant  color ;  but  the 
principle  of  the  coloring  shows  itself  in  the  entire 


2  12  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

relief.  Large  scarlet  spots  of  blood  flow  from  the 
fresh  wounds.  In  the  figures,  hair,  beards,  lips  are 
shaded  with  great  care.  The  eyebrows,  eyelashes, 
and  the  inside  of  the  eye  are  executed  with  the 
brush,  not  the  chisel.  In  some  rapid  touches,  with 
a  brightness  and  striking  exactness,  the  artist  can 
animate  or  hollow  a  cheek,  can  illuminate  an  iris, 
cause  a  look  to  sparkle  or  vanish. 

"  It  is  especially  to  this  work  of  painting  that  the 
heads  owe  the  extraordinary  intensity  of  pathetic 
expression  which  the  simple  plastic  methods  are 
powerless  to  accomplish.  The  worn  aspect  of  an- 
tique marbles  had  caused  scholars  of  the  Renais- 
sance to  believe  that  the  Greek  sculptor  did  not 
allow  himself  to  reproduce  that  which  is  most 
active  in  life,  most  human  in  humanity;  our  sar- 
cophagus ends  by  proving  the  opposite.  It  shows 
that  when  Aristeides  deserved  the  name  of  'char- 
acter painter,'  when  Apelles  painted  his  famous 
portraits,  sculpture  could  compete  with  neighbor- 
ing art  by  borrowing  from  it,  when  necessary,  its 
processes.  .  .  . 

"  Another  prejudice,  not  less  destitute  of  founda- 
tion, consisted  in  believing  that  the  nude  parts  of 
the   body   were   in   the   colored    relief    left   without 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  SCULPTURE  213 


color.  This  opinion,  al- 
ready made  doubtful  by 
the  discoveries  of  the 
frieze  of  the  mausoleum 
and  the  different  frag- 
ments of  Alexandrine 
sculpture,  coincides  with 
the  examination  of  the 
Sarcophagus  of  Alex- 
ander. 

"  It    is   true,   however, 
that    the   nude    portions 
are    not  '  painted    in   the 
same   manner   as    the 
drapery.     Instead'  of  flat 
tints    under    which    ap- 
peared   the    'exquisite 
flower  of  the  model,'  the 
artist  has   recourse  here 
to  a  light  and  transpar- 
ent   tone,   light   or   dark 
yellow,  so  it  appears,  ac- 
cording  to   whether  the 
subject    is    a    Greek    or 
an    Oriental,  tinted  with 


Alexander  Sarcophagus : 
Details  from  the  Frieze 


214 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


rose,  but  without  any  attempt  to  express  the  diver- 
sified aspect  of  the  skin,  or  the  azure  network  of  the 


Alexander  Sarcophagus 


veins.  The  animals — horses,  deer,  Hons,  panthers, 
greyhounds  —  are  treated  the  same,  save  the  shad- 
ing, which  varies  from  one  to  another. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  SCULPTURE  215 

"  This  liquid  veil,  intended  rather  to  lessen  the 
dazzling  whiteness  of  the  marble  than  to  reproduce 
realistically  the  natural  coloring,  is  to-day  so  well 
worn  that  at  first  sight  one  is  in  danger  of  con- 
fusing it  with  the  discoloration  of  the  centuries; 
but  a  careful  search  has  revealed  to  me  in  many 
places  indisputable  traces  of  artificial  pigments. 

"In  this  respect  the  most  happily  conceived  of 
the  six  compositions  is  the  Lion  Hunt.  Rubens 
or  Titian  would  not  have  imagined  a  symphony  of 
color  fresher  or  more  pleasing.  Notice  particularly 
the  group  at  the  left  —  first  the  Persian  archer, 
strapped  in  his  rainbow-colored  tunic,  the  headdress 
of  a  violet-colored  tiara  with  a  red  lining,  the  coat 
blue  with  violet-colored  sleeves  on  his  shoulders ; 
then  the  nude  runner,  putting  into  this  confusion 
a  large,  luminous,  restful  spot,  the  yellowed  white- 
ness of  his  flesh  brightened  by  the  contrast  of  the 
scarlet  chlamys  which  folds  itself  back  around  his 
arm ;  finally  Alexander  with  his  variegated  tunic, 
his  yellow  chlamys,  his  purple  buskins,  on  a  white 
horse,  girded  with  a  red  breast  piece.  It  is  five 
years  since  I  have  seen  this  detail,  and  the  brilliant 
picture  of  this  bouquet  of  human  flowers  is  not 
effaced  from  my  memory." 


2l6  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Color  as  applied  to  Greek  Sculpture 

"  No  doubt  the  painting  of  statues  and  the  use  of 
gold  and  ivory  upon  them  were  derived  from  a  rude 
age,  when  no  images  existed  but  rude  wooden  work 
—  at  first  a  mere  block,  then  roughly  altered  and 
reduced  to  shape,  but  probably  requiring  some  col- 
oring to  produce  any  effect  whatever.  To  a  pub- 
lic accustomed  from  childhood  to  such  painted 
and  often  richly  dressed  images,  a  pure  white  mar- 
ble statue  must  appear  utterly  cold  and  lifeless. 
So  it  does  to  us,  when  we  have  become  accus- 
tomed to  the  mellow  tints  of  old  and  even  weath- 
er-stained Greek  statues ;  and  it  should  here  be 
noticed  that  this  mellow  skin-surface  on  antique 
statues  is  not  the  mere  result  of  age  but  of  an  arti- 
ficial process  whereby  they  burnt  into  the  surface 
a  composition  of  wax  and  oil,  which  gave  a  yellow- 
ish tone  to  the  marble.  .  .  .  But  if  we  imagine  all 
the  marble  surfaces  and  reliefs  in  the  temple  colored 
for  architectural  richness'  sake,  we  can  feel  even 
more  strongly  how  cold  and  out  of  place  would 
be  a  perfectly  colorless  statue  in  the  center  of  all 
this  pattern."  ^ 

1  Rambles  and  Studies  in  Greece,  by  J.  P.  Mahaffy. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   SCULPTURE  217 

"  That  the  Greeks  did  paint  their  marble  sculp- 
ture is  now  generally  admitted,  though  the  extent 
to  which  colors  were  applied  is  still  a  subject  of 
dispute.  .  .  .  The  statues  unearthed  on  the  Akrop- 
olis  since  1882,  and  the  marvelous  sarcophagi  from 
Sidon,  show  how  little  of  what  the  Greeks  put 
into  their  sculpture  is  left  us  in  the  remains  which 
retain  no  more  than  the  form,  chiseled  in  white 
marble. 

"  Of  marble  statues  or  reliefs  which  retain  traces 
of  the  female  flesh  color  I  do  not  remember  an  ex- 
ample of  the  fourth  century;  but  going  back  to 
the  early  stages  of  Greek  art,  we  find  it  among 
statues  discovered  on  the  Akropolis,  and  most  con- 
spicuously upon  the  head  crowned  with  a  large 
diadem  which  is  reproduced  in  the  collection  of 
Gillieron's  water  colors  and  colored  photographs. 
The  flesh  of  this  head  still  retains  its  colors  in 
all  their  brilliant  crudeness.  It  is  now  absolutely 
white,  with  a  strong  hectic  spot  on  each  cheek, 
and  scarlet  lips.  The  eyes  are  heavily  outlined  in 
black, 

"At  least  a  century  later,  that  is,  about  the 
middle  of  the  fifth  century  before  Christ,  we  find 
indications   of   a  similar  scheme   already  advanced 


2l8  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

in  refinement,  on  the  well-known  gravestone  of 
Philis,  in  the  Louvre.  .  .  .  The  flesh  color,  it  will 
be  observed,  —  and  indeed  all  other  colors,  are 
put  on  perfectly  flat.  Comparison  of  Greek  frag- 
ments shows  clearly  that  there  must  be  no  grada- 
tions of  shade,  no  attempts  to  model  with  the 
colors.  The  shadows  belong  in  the  province  of 
the  sculptor.  If  he  has  done  his  work  well,  a 
perfectly  uniform  application  of  color  will  result 
in  all  the  play  of  light  and  shade  which  could 
be  desired,  nay,  the  modeling  even  produces  a 
variety  of  shadows  and  tones  in  the  color  itself. 
.  .  .  The  hair  was  gilded  in  conformity  with 
a  practice  which,  though  perhaps  not  universal, 
was  certainly  very  general,  as  traces  of  it  have 
been  found  upon  marble  statues,  terra  cotta  figures, 
and  occasionally  even  upon  figures  and  vases  of 
the  later  styles.  The  most  famous  instance  in 
which  it  has  been  found  upon  a  statue  is  that 
of  the  Venus  de'  Medici,  but  this  is  by  no  means 
the  only  one. 

"  Although  there  are  many  marble  figures  retain- 
ing traces  which  are  sufficient  to  prove  that  it  was 
a  common  custom  to  color  the  garments  of  statues, 
there  is  none  which  gives  a  complete  idea  of  the 


{  I- 

Gravestone  ok  Philis 


•19 


220  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

color  scheme  it  originally  presented.  Perhaps  the 
most  satisfactory  known  at  present  is  the  marble 
statuette  of  Aphrodite  found  at  Pompeii  and  now 
in  the  Museum  of  Naples. 

"  The  terra  cottas/  with  their  delicate  shades  of 
blue,  pink,  saffron,  and  other  colors,  give  us  a 
conception  of  Greek  taste  in  color  of  garments 
w^iich  corresponds  perfectly  with  what  we  learn 
from  literary  sources.  These  show  that,  from  the 
earliest  times,  the  Greeks  were  fond  of  bright  and 
variegated  shades;  and  that,  in  their  conception  of 
beauty,  color  was  always  an  important  element. 

"  There  are  many  traces  of  this  in  the  Homeric 
poems,  one  of  the  most  striking  being  in  the 
hymn  to  Aphrodite,  where  the  goddess,  to  entice 
Anchises,  has  made  herself  as  beautiful  as  pos- 
sible, and  '  stood  before  him  like  in  height  and 
form  to  an  unwedded  virgin.  .  .  .  But  Anchises, 
seeing  her,  pondered,  and  was  amazed  at  her  figure 
and  size  and  splendid  garments.  For  she  wore  a 
peplos  more  brilliant  than  the  gleam  of  fire,  and  she 
had  well-twisted  brooches,  and  glittering  ornaments, 
and  around  her  soft  neck  there  were  most  beautiful 
necklaces,  beautiful,  golden,  all  variegated ;  and  like 

1  See  figurines,  page  241. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  SCULPTURE  221 

the  moon  she  shone  about  her  soft  shoulders,  a 
wonder  to  behold.' 

"  These  Homeric  descriptions  show  to  what  a 
degree  the  early  Greeks  shared  in  that  love  of  gor- 
geous color  which  we  associate  with  the  oriental 
nations ;  and  their  enjoyment  of  oriental  stuffs  is 
well  known  to  readers  of  the  epic  poets.  With  the 
development  of  their  civilization  they  do  not  seem 
to  have  ever  lost  this  love  of  bright  colors,  although 
their  instinctive  tendency  toward  refinement  led 
them  away  from  primary  or  strong  shades. 

"  For  the  garments  of  women,  white  was  perhaps 
more  popular  than  any  one  color,  but  it  was  by  no 
means  the  only  favorite.  Yet  it  has  been  remarked, 
that  in  classical  literature,  abstract  names  for  colors, 
such  as  red,  blue,  and  green,  are  seldom  met  with, 
the  hue  being  usually  described  by  an  adjective 
derived  from  some  analogy  in  nature,  like  frog  color, 
myrtle,  apple,  amethyst,  violet,  hyacinth,  saffron, 
rose,  wave  color,  etc.  What  we  learn  from  literature 
on  this  point  is  confirmed  by  the  terra  cottas. 

"  Although  the  aggregate  number  of  colors  pre- 
served upon  them  is  small,  the  variety  of  shades 
is  very  large ;  but  among  those  of  the  better 
epochs,  hard  or  positive  tones  are  extremely  rare, 


222  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

even  with  the  due  allowance  for  the  softening  in- 
fluences of  time.  Red  is  modified  into  various 
degrees  of  pink  or  crimson,  yellow  is  softened  into 
primrose  or  saffron,  and  there  are  many  shades  of 
blue  for  which  we  have  no  distinctive  name."^ 

Greek    Sculpture   found   on  the   Akropolis  at 
Athens  showing  Traces  of  Color 

"  Excavations  [on  the  Akropolis]  had  been  re- 
sumed in  November,  1885,  ^^^^  '^^^  ^^"^^  following 
February  fourteen  female  statues  of  Parian  marble 
were  discovered,  eight  of  which,  by  a  piece  of  good 
fortune  rarely  vouchsafed  to  ancient  marbles,  had 
kept  their  heads  upon  their  shoulders.  .  .  .  Buried 
from  ten  to  fourteen  feet  beneath  the  surface,  in 
the  midst  of  a  confused  mass  of  debris  in  which 
ancient  inscriptions,  rough  stones,  and  fragments 
of  buildings  were  heaped  together,  these  statues 
had  preserved  in  their  hiding  place  a  wonderful 
brilliance  of  coloring.  Scarcely  had  the  marks 
of  fire,  in  a  few  cases,  dimmed  the  bright  colors 
which  adorned  their  faces  and  set  ofT  the  white- 
ness of  the  marble  with  brilliant  designs. 

1  Colored  Sculpture,  by  Edward  Robinson,  published  by  the  IMuseum 
of  Fine  Arts,  Boston,  1892. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   SCULPTURE 


223 


"  What  is  most  remarkable  about  them,  however, 
is  the  brilHancy  of  their  coloring,  which  makes  the 
outlines  of  their  features  and  the  splendor  of  their 
dress  stand  out  against  the 
whiteness  of  the  marble. 
Their  robes  are  bordered 
or  enameled  with  embroi- 
deries of  various  colors, 
with  the  key  pattern  in 
green  or  purple  and  with 
crosses  in  blue  or  green ; 
heavy  discs  of  gold  hang 
from  their  ears;  bracelets 
and  diadems  enhance  the 
splendor  of  their  dress ; 
while  their  reddish  hair 
and  eyeballs  tinged  with 
carmine  give  a  strange 
expression,  a  glow  of  life 
as  it  were,  to  their  faces."  ^         Archaic  Votive  Statue 

"  The  rich  and  lively  effect  produced  by  these 
statues  is  in  a  great  measure  due  to  the  good  pres- 
ervation of  their  coloring,  which  has,  for  the  first 


^  Diehl's  Excursions  in  Greece,  chapter  on  Excavations  on  Akropolis 
of  Athens. 


2  24  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

time,  given  us  a  clear  notion  of  the  application 
of  color  to  sculpture  in  early  Greece.  The  fine 
material,  and  the  traditions  it  has  brought  with  it, 
have  had  their  effect.  The  whole  surface  is  no 
longer  covered  with  an  opaque  coat  of  paint,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  rough  limestone  pediments.  .  .  . 
We  accordingly  find  that,  in  this  set  of  '  maidens,' 
the  use  of  color  is  restricted  w^ithin  narrow  limits. 
It  is,  in  the  first  place,  applied  to  the  hair,  the  eyes, 
and  the  lips,  the  pigment  used  for  the  hair  and  lips 
being  red,  and  the  same  for  the  iris  of  the  eye,  and 
usually  for  the  outlines  of  iris  and  pupil ;  but  a 
darker  pigment  is  generally  used  for  the  pupil  itself, 
and  sometimes  for  the  outlines  of  the  iris. 

"It  will  be  seen  that  this  coloring^  is  still  partly 
conventional,  certainly  not  naturalistic  in  character; 
but  the  red  coloring  on  hair  and  iris  is  probably 
intended  to  represent  an  actual  and  admired  type. 
The  usual  color  of  the  hair  of  the  Tanagra  statu- 
ettes is  the  same,  and  the  red-brown  eyes  of  the 
Charioteer  from  Delphi,  itself  probably  an  Attic 
work,  will  not  easily  be  forgotten  by  those  who 
have  seen  them. 

1  For  reproductions  in  color  see  Antike  Denkmaler,  published  by  the 
German  Archaeological  Institute,  Plate  19. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  SCULPTURE  225 

"  On  the  drapery  we  find  similar  principles  of 
decoration.  No  garment  is  covered  with  a  com- 
plete coat  of  paint  unless  only  a  small  portion  of  it 
is  visible.  The  main  surfaces  are  always  left  white, 
showing  the  natural  texture  of  the  marble ;  but 
they  have  richly  colored  borders,  and  are  sprigged 
with  finely  drawn  decorations,  the  colors  used  being 
mostly  rich  and  dark  ones,  —  dark  green,  which  was 
in  some  cases  originally  blue,  dark  blue,  purple, 
and  red. 

"  The  effect  of  this  coloring,  whether  on  face  or 
garments,  is  to  set  off  and  enchance  by  contrast 
the  beautiful  tint  and  texture  of  the  marble.  Those 
who  have  only  seen  white  marble  statues,  without 
any  touches  of  color  to  give  definition  to  the  model- 
ing and  variety  to  the  tone,  can  have  no  notion  of 
the  beauty,  life,  and  vigor  of  which  the  material  is 
capable.  .  .  . 

"  The  significance  of  these  statues  is  much  dis- 
puted. All  we  know  is  that  the  statues  were  offi- 
cially called  Ko/oat,  or  'maidens';  that  they  were 
dedicated  by  men  as  well  as  women,  and  that  they 
could  be  offered  to  a  god  as  well  as  to  a  goddess. 
.  .  .  The  reason  why  an  offering  took  the  form  of 
a  maiden  is  not  easy  for  us  to   discover;   what   is 


226  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

most  to  our  present  purpose  is  to  note  that  this 
form  of  offering  was  very  common,  and  of  practi- 
cally universal  appropriateness."  ^ 

"  Unfortunately  it  is  found  impossible  to  take 
casts  of  these  statues  for  fear  of  destroying  the  deli- 
cate remains  of  color  which  linger  yet  on  hair,  eyes, 
and  dress.^  In  style  they  vary  greatly;  and  it  is  a 
fascinating  task  to  trace  from  one  to  another  the 
gradual  dawn  upon  the  artistic  sense  of  Greece  of 
greater  skill  in  the  rendering  of  difficult  details,  of 
keener  love  for  nature,  of  clearer  feeling  for  style. 

"Yet  even  the  rudest  have  something  of  that  inex- 
plicable charm  which  belongs  to  archaic  Greek  art, 
and  which  takes  a  stronger  and  stronger  hold  of 
students  of  archaeology.  This  charm  was  felt  in 
antiquity  by  Pausanias,  who  found  something  divine 
in  the  primitive  sculptures  of  the  school  of  Daidalos, 
and  by  Lucian,  who  praises  the  sweet  and  subtle 
smile  of  Sosandra  and   Kalamis. 

"  Among  ourselves  one  may  venture  to  say  it  is  only 
archaic  art  which  can  arouse  a  real  enthusiasm.  .  .  . 
It  is  a  tendency  not  unnatural  in  an  age  when  taste 
is  directed  rather  by  understanding  than  the  senses, 

^  Ancient  Athens,  by  Ernest  A.  Gardner. 

2  A  series  of  photographs,  however,  may  be  seen  in  Kavvadias'  work, 
Les  Musee  d'Athenes. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   SCULPTURE  227 

and  when  the  tendency  to  asceticism  is  so  marked 
among  more  sensitive  natures.  .  .  . 

"The  dress  of  the  maidens  shows  a  grace  of  elabo- 
ration that  is  in  accord  with  the  style  of  their  sculp- 


Archaic  Votive  Statues 

ture/     There  are  several  varieties,  but  the  majority 
are  clothed  after  a  fashion  that  may  be  classed  as 

^  For  study  of  costume  of  draped  figures  see  Zur  Tracht  Archaischer 
Gewandfiguren,  by  A.  Kalkmann,  in  Jahrbuch  des  Kaiserlich  Deutschen 
Archaologischen  Instituts,  Band  XVI,  1901, 


2  28  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

Ionian.  This  need  not  surprise  us,  when  we  remem- 
ber the  story  told  by  Herodotus,  how  after  a  certain 
disastrous  expedition  to  yEgina,the  Athenian  women 
set  upon  the  sole  survivor  and  stabbed  him  to  death 
with  their  brooches ;  and  how,  in  consequence,  they 
were  forbidden  thereafter  to  wear  brooches  at  all,  but 
to  adopt  the  linen  chiton,  instead  of  the  Doric."  ^ 

Accordingly,  "the  soft  linen  chiton  from  Ionia 
took  the  place  of  the  heavy  woolen  Doric  garment. 
No  device  was  needed  to  hold  it  upon  the  shoulders, 
and  the  sleeves  and  fine  folds,  into  which  the  thin- 
ner material  readily  fell,  presented  a  new  problem 
for  the  artists  who  had  been  making  the  Doric  pep- 
los  as  regular  and  plain  as  though  made  of  wood. . . . 
This  change  must  be  assigned  to  the  earlier  part  of 
the  sixth  century;  on  the  Fran9ois  and  other  early 
Attic  vases,  women  wear  the  Doric  chiton,  with  its 
large  brooches  on  the  shoulders.  But  the  Doric 
peplos  was  destined  to  reappear,  and  after  the  Ionic 
dress  had  been  in  vogue  about  a  century,  the  old 
dress  of  the  Athenians  was  again  introduced."^ 

"  The  Attic  art  which  grew  up  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  sixth  century  before  Christ  is  more  remarkable  for 

1  New  Chapters  in  Greek  History,  by  Percy  Gardner. 

2  Huddilston's  Lessons  from  Greek  Pottery. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   SCULPTURE  229 

refinement  and  delicacy  than  for  strength.  It  de- 
hghts  in  the  rich  folds  of  the  complicated  Ionic 
drapery  and  in  the  varied  details  of  an  elaborate 
coiffure."^ 

"  These  statues  fill  a  void  in  the  history  of  Greek 
sculpture,  which,  before  they  were  discovered,  was  a 
blank,  viz.,  the  sixth  century  before  Christ,and  though 
they  are  not,  all  of  them,  in  an  artistic  point  of 
view,  of  uniform  merit,  two  or  three  exhibit  prog- 
ress in  the  plastic  art.  .  .  .  These  figures  are,  for  the 
most  part,  clad  each  in  a  chiton,  and  holding  the 
border  of  a  himation  in  the  left  hand.  The  hair  is 
divided  in  the  middle  of  the  forehead,  and  descend- 
ing in  curled  locks,  is  bound  in  some  cases  over  the 
head  by  a  ribbon  or  ornamental  diadem.  The  right 
hand  is  in  advance  of  the  body,  and  the  figure  holds 
sometimes  an  apple  or  pomegranate.  The  head  is 
surmounted  by  a  bronze  nail,  which  perhaps  served 
to  support  a  kind  of  screen  to  protect  the  colors. 
The  physical  type  is  like  that  of  the  figures  found 
at  Delos,  .  .  .  but  they  are  more  graceful  and  con- 
tain germs  of  a  natural  style  to  be  developed. 

"The  polychromatic  colors  employed  are  green, 
—  the  best  preserved,  —  red,  blue,  yellow,  and  gray; 

1  Ancient  Athens,  by  Ernest  A.  Gardner. 


230  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

and  on  the  borders  of  the  chitons  and  himations, 
bands  of  meander  patterns  are  painted  green  and 
red,  with  pahnettes  and  rosettes.  The  hair  has 
sometimes  a  red  tinge,  or  yellow,  distinctly  seen. 
The  eyes  were  also  painted,  and,  in  some  instances, 
are  made  of  a  crystalline  metal.  .  .  . 

"  These  statues  are  carved  of  Parian  marble,  and 
are  composed  of  many  pieces  for  convenience  of 
transportation ;  they  are,  moreover,  joined  together 
by  a  curious  method,  not  of  plugs  or  bolts,  but  of 
fine  cement. 

"  They  were  found,  .  .  .  heaped  in  pellmell  with 
broken  columns,  capitals,  inscriptions,  heads  and 
feet  of  statues,  piled  one  on  another,  as  used  by 
order  of  Themistokles  to  make  a  new  wall.  They 
recall  that  extraordinary  time  when  the  Persians, 
having  burned  the  temple,  cast  down  the  statues 
from  their  pedestals,  broke  off  their  hands  and 
heads,  and  then  retreated,  like  lions  surprised  in 
rending  their  prey;  and  the  Athenians,  returning 
after  the  victory  of  Salamis,  hastily  put  the  citadel 
in  a  state  of  defense  with  everything  they  could  lay 
their  hands  on,  with  statues  that  may  have  been 
objects  of  adoration  but  were  rendered  valueless 
from  desecration  and  mutilation.     Names  of  some 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   SCULPTURE  23 1 

of  the  artists  of  these  statues  are  found  in  inscrip- 
tions on  them,  but  only  one  of  them,  Antenor,  is  a 
name  of  after  note."^ 

Archaic  Pediment  Groups  of  Sculpture 

One  of  the  most  curious  and  interesting  groups 
found  on  the  AkropoHs  in  1888  was  that  called 
A  Struggle  between  Herakles  and  the  Monster 
Typhon.  "The  hero,  whose  head,  larger  than  life, 
is  painted  in  the  most  brilliant  hues,  kneels  with 
his  right  knee  on  the  ground,  and  presses  the  body 
of  the  monster  firmly  against  his  breast,  while  its 
hinder  part  stretches  away  in  snaky  coils.  .  .  . 

"  One  of  the  most  noteworthy  points,  indeed,  in 
these  old  statues  is  the  strange  and  almost  violent 
colors  with  which  they  are  painted.  Every  part  of 
the  body  is  covered  with  brilliant  hues.  The  beard 
and  hair  are  blue,  the  eyeballs  green;  and  in  a  lit- 
tle hole  which  represents  the  pupil  a  sort  of  black 
enamel  lights  up  the  face  with  a  gleam  of  life. 

"  The  ears,  lips,  and  cheeks  are  colored  red,  and 
the  exposed  parts  of  the  body  are  painted  a  light 
red,  almost  a  rose  color,  in  imitation  of  the  natural 
color  of  the  flesh.     The  serpentine  coils  in  which 

^  Greek  Art  on  Greek  Soil,  by  James  M.  Hoppin. 


232  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

these  monstrous  figures  end  are  painted  in  wide 
parallel  bands,  alternately  red  and  blue ;  the  same 
colors  are  found  in  the  wings  of  Typhon  and  make 
minutely  worked-out  details  of  the  feathers  stand 
out  clearly. 

"In  another  group  the  bodies  of  the  lions  are 
light  red,  and  contrast  strongly  with  their  bright 
red  manes ;  the  bull  is  blue,  with  large  red  spots 
here  and  there,  where  the  blood  is  escaping  through 
open  wounds.  The  coloring  of  the  head  is  espe- 
cially remarkable,  and  thanks  to  its  wonderfully 
good  preservation,  the  combined  effect  is  as  strange 
as  it  is  powerful. 

"It  is  probable  that  these  groups,  which  are  from 
ten  to  thirteen  feet  in  length,  and  not  quite  two  and 
one  half  feet  in  height,  served  to  decorate  the  ped- 
iment of  a  temple.  Dr.  Schrader  maintains  that 
they  decorated  the  pediments  of  an  early  temple^ 
of  Athena  which  was  destroyed  at  the  time  of  the 
Persian  wars."^ 

Another  writer  says  of  the  coloring^  of  these 
groups:  "It  was  highly  conventional,  dark  blue,  for 
example,  being  constantly  used,  not  only  for  the  hair 

1  Pre-Persian  Temple  on  the  Akropolis,  by  Percy  Gardner,  in  The 
Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIII,  1892-1S93. 

2  Diehl's  Excursions  in  Greece.      ^  Antike  Denkmaler,  Band  I,  Tafel  30. 


233 


2  34  ^i^HE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

and  beards  of  men,  but  also  for  horses  and  for  the 
body  of  the  bull,  while  the  rest  of  the  distribution 
of  the  color  was  decorative  rather  than  realistic  in 
character. 

"  The  background  was  sometimes  colored,  some- 
times left  plain,  so  that  the  colored  figures  stood  out 
against  it  like  the  black  or  colored  figures  on  the 
clay  ground  of  early  vases.  The  subjects  and  the 
composition  of  these  early  pediments  offer  many 
other  analogies  with  vases,  and  especially  with  early 
Attic  vases ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  artis- 
tic types.  ...  It  seems  probable  that  we  must  recog- 
nize a  vigorous  local  school  of  art  in  Athens  about  the 
earlier  part  of  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century  before 
Christ,  which  not  only  is  visible  in  industrial  products, 
such  as  pottery  and  decorative  bronzes,  but  was  also 
capable  of  building  temples  and  decorating  them 
with  sculpture  of  an  individual  character."  ^ 

Description  of  the  Statue  of  Zeus  by  Pheidias, 
WITH  Paintings  by  Panainos,  at  Olymfia 

"  The  image  of  the  god  is  in  gold  and  ivory, 
seated  on  a  throne.  And  a  crown  is  on  his  head 
imitating  the  foliage  of  the  olive  tree.     In  his  right 

1  Ancient  Athens,  by  Ernest  A.  Gardner. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   SCULPTURE  235 

hand  he  holds  a  Victory  in  ivory  and  gold,  with  a 
tiara  and  crown  on  his  head,  and  in  his  left  hand  a 
scepter  adorned  with  all  manner  of  precious  stones, 
and  a  bird  seated  on  the  scepter  is  an  eagle.  The 
robes  and  sandals  of  the  god  are  also  of  gold,  and 
on  his  robes  are  imitations  of  flowers,  especially  of 
lilies.  And  the  throne  is  richly  adorned  with  gold 
and  precious  stones,  and  with  ebony  and  ivory. 
And  there  are  imitations  of  animals  painted  on  it, 
and  models  worked  on  it. 

"  There  are  four  Victories  like  dancers,  one  at 
each  foot  of  the  throne,  and  two  also  at  the  instep 
of  each  foot :  .  .  .  and  between  the  feet  of  the  throne 
are  four  divisions  formed  by  straight  lines  drawn 
from  each  of  the  four  feet.  In  the  division  nearest 
the  entrance  there  are  seven  models;  the  eighth  has 
vanished  no  one  knows  where  or  how.  And  they 
are  imitations  of  ancient  contests,  for  in  the  days  of 
Pheidias  the  contests  for  boys  were  not  yet  estab- 
lished. And  the  figure  with  its  head  mufHed  up  in 
a  scarf  is,  they  say,  Pantarkes,  who  was  a  native  of 
Elis  and  the  darling  of  Pheidias.  This  Pantarkes 
won  the  wrestling  prize  for  boys  in  the  eighty- 
sixth  Olympiad.  And  in  the  remaining  divisions 
is    the    band    of     Herakles    fighting    against    the 


236 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Amazons.     The   number  on   each   side   is   twenty- 
nine,  and  Theseus  is  on  the  side  of  Herakles. 

"  And  the  throne  is  supported  not  only  by  four 
feet,  but  also  by  four  pillars  between  the  feet.  But 
one  cannot  get  under  the  throne,  as  one  can  at 
Amyklai,  and  pass  inside,  for  at  Olympia  there  are 
panels  like  walls  that  keep  one  off.     Of  these  panels 


Coin  of   Elis  :    Head  of  Zeus;   Zeus  on  Throne 

the  one  opposite  the  doors  of  the  temple  is  painted 
sky  blue  only,  but  the  others  contain  paintings  by 
Panainos.^  Among  them  is  Atlas  bearing  up  Earth 
and  Heaven,  and  Herakles  standing  by  willing  to 
relieve  him  of  his  load,  and  Pirithoos,  and  Greece, 
and  Salamis  with  the  figurehead  of  a  ship  in  her 
hand,  and  the  contest  of  Herakles  with  the  Nemean 

1  The  Paintings  by  Panainos  on  the  Throne  of  the  Olympian  Zeus,  by 
E.  A.  Gardner,  in  tlie  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XIV,  1894. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  SCULPTURE  237 

lion,  and  Ajax's  unknightly  violation  of  Kassandra, 
and  Hippodameia  the  daughter  of  Oinomaos  with 
her  mother,  and  Prometheus  still  chained  to  the 
rock  and  Herakles  gazing  at  him.  For  the  tradi- 
tion is  that  Herakles  slew  the  eagle  that  forever  was 
tormenting  Prometheus  on  Mount  Caucasus,  and  re- 
leased Prometheus  from  his  chains. 

"  The  last  paintings  are  Penthesileia  dying  and 
Achilles  supporting  her,  and  two  Hesperides  carry- 
ing the  apples  of  which  they  are  fabled  to  have  been 
the  keepers.  This  Panainos  ^  was  the  brother  of 
Pheidias,  and  at  Athens  in  the  Painted  Portico  he 
has  painted  the  action  at  Marathon. 

"  At  the  top  of  the  throne  Pheidias  has  repre- 
sented above  the  head  of  Zeus  the  three  Graces 
and  three  Seasons.  For  these  too,  as  we  learn 
from  the  poets,  were  daughters  of  Zeus.  Homer 
in  the  Iliad"  has  represented  the  Seasons  as  hav- 
ing the  care  of  Heaven,  as  a  kind  of  guards  of  a 
royal  palace. 

"  And  the  base  under  the  feet  of  Zeus  has  golden 
lions  engraved  on  it,  and  the  battle  between  The- 
seus and  the  Amazons,  the  first  famous  exploit  of 

^  See  Pausanias'  Description  of  Greece,  Book  I,  Attica,  Chapter  XV. 
2  Iliad,  VIII,  393-395- 


238  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

the  Athenians  beyond  their  own  borders.  And 
on  the  platform  that  supports  the  throne  there  are 
various  ornaments  round  Zeus  and  giU  carving,  — 
the  Sun  seated  in  his  chariot,  and  Zeus  and  Hera, 
and  near  is  Grace.  Hermes  is  close  to  her,  and  Vesta 
close  to  Hermes.  And  next  to  Vesta  is  Eros  receiv- 
ing Aphrodite  just  rising  from  the  sea,  who  is  being 
crowned  by  Persuasion.  And  Apollo  and  Artemis, 
Athena  and  Herakles  are  standing  by,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  platform  Amphitrite  and  Poseidon,  and 
Selene  apparently  urging  on  her  horse.  .  .  .  They 
say  when  the  statue  was  finished,  Pheidias  prayed 
him  to  sigfiify  if  the  work  was  to  his  mind,  and 
immediately  Zeus  struck  with  lightning  that  part 
of  the  pavement  where  in  our  day  there  is  a 
brazen  urn  with  a  lid."  ^ 

Statue  of  Hermes 

"  One  of  the  most  splendid  discoveries  of  mod- 
ern times,  perhaps  the  most  important  outside  of 
Athens,  is  that  of  the  statue  of  Hermes"  at  Olym- 
pia.  This  is  undoubtedly  the  '  Hermes,  carrying 
the  child  Dionysos,  by  Praxiteles,'  which  Pausanias 

1  Pausanias'  Description  of  Greece,  Book  V,  Elis. 

2  Illustration  of  this  figure  is  on  page  21. 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   SCULPTURE  239 

mentions  as  having  been  dedicated  in  the  Temple 
of  Hera,  and  which  was  found  there  by  the  German 
explorers,  lying  on  its  face  within  the  cell  a,  broken 
indeed,  yet  with  its  surface  almost  uninjured,  —  a 
wondrous  contribution  to  our  knowledge  of  art,  and 
an  addition  to  our  pleasure  for  all  time.  .  .  .  This 
is  the  veritable  work  of  the  great  master  Praxiteles. 
.  .  .  For  the  first  time  we  possess  a  work  which 
may  with  reasonable  certainty  be  attributed  to  one 
of  the  very  greatest  sculptors  of  antiquity,  and  for 
every  line  and  touch  of  which  we  can  hold  him 
responsible. 

"  That  this  figure  of  Hermes  is  of  surpassing 
beauty  is  acknowledged  by  all.  ...  It  is  worthy 
of  notice  that  on  this  statue  were  found  traces 
of  color  and  of  gilding;  indeed,  a  sandal  of  gilt 
bronze  had  been  attached  to  it."  ^ 

Polychrome  Statue  of  a  Figure  from  Delos 

"  A  polychrome  statue  of  a  female  figure  has 
lately  been  found  by  the  French  School  at  Delos. 
A  brief  notice  of  this  appears  in  the  Bulletin  de 
Correspondance  Hellenique.  It  is  in  a  perfect  state 
of  preservation,  a  little  over  life  size.    The  body  rests 

1  New  Chapters  in  Greek  History,  by  Percy  Gardner. 


240  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

on  the  left  limb,  the  right  foot  thrown  back  just 
touching  the  ground.  The  left  arm  hangs  down, 
while  the  right  is  placed  across  the  breast  and 
raised  to  the  shoulder.  The  costume  is  composed 
of  a  tunic  and  peplos,  the  tunic  falling  in  large  folds 
to  the  feet,  which  it  covers  almost  completely. 
The  peplos  is  thrown  about  the  form,  nearly  con- 
cealing the  tunic  except  the  lower  portion,  and  one 
of  its  ends  is  wrapped  around  the  left  wrist.  The 
sandal  of  the  right  foot,  which  is  partially  seen,  has 
a  triple  sole  and  is  ornamented  with  red  and  gilded 
fillets.  In  the  decoration  of  the  cloak  there  is 
blue  color  with  broidery  of  rose  violet.  The  robe 
is  adorned  with  bands  on  which  are  figured  scrolls 
of  white  and  gold  upon  a  ground  of  clear  blue. 
Though  somewhat  in  the  conventional  style  of  such 
statues,  the  face  is  lovely.  If  a  portrait,  which  it 
might  be,  it  is  idealized  in  that  charming  manner 
of  Hellenic  art  of  the  third  and  second  centuries 
before  Christ,  free  reproductions  of  the  fourth  age 
of  Praxitelean  form.  The  style  of  the  hair  is  pecul- 
iarly elegant  and  at  the  same  time  simpler  than 
in  examples  known  of  the  same  period,  being  in 
undulating  bands  like  that  of  the  Nymphs  of  the 
Vienna  bas-relief.     It  is  what  we  find  in  the  little 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   SCULPTURE  24 1 

figures  of  Tanagra  and  Myrina ;  and  the  analogy 
with  these  is  more  striking  inasmuch  as  the  hair 
is  tinted  red.  The  features  are  fine  and  regular, 
the  eyes  are  cast  down,  and  the  oval  face  is  a 
little  elongated,  delicately  narrowing  toward  the 
chin.  The  neck  is  straight  and  long.  The  expres- 
sion is  sweet,  but  it  would  be  considered  cold, 
were  it  not  for  a  smile  hardly  indicated  yet  suflfi- 
cient  to  animate  the  countenance.  It  resembles 
a  Muse,  Mnemosyne,  perhaps,  from  its  thoughtful 

character."  ^ 

Figurines 

In  the  National  Museum  at  Athens  is  one  of 
the  finest  collections  of  figurines,  —  those  dainty 
human  little  figures  which  give  us  the  best  idea 
of  the  Greek  of  the  past  in  his  daily  ordinary  life. 
They  are  "gathered  from  all  parts  of  Greece,  al- 
though Tanagra  in  Boeotia  was  the  chief  center 
where  they  were  found. 

"  The  most  antique  of  these  little  figures  are 
divinities,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  divinities  of  the 
lower  world,  such  as  Demeter  and  Persephone, 
and  were  of  the  nature  of  c.r  votos,  deposited  in 
the  tombs  with  vases  and  funerary  objects.    These 

1  Greek  Art  on  Greek  Soil,  by  James  M.  Iloppin. 


242 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


statuettes  were  made  either  by  hand  or  by  mold ; 
but  molded  figures  were  retouched  by  hand,  and 
then  baked  in  an  oven,  and  painted  and  gilded. 

"  The  most  beauti- 
ful of  these  were  cer- 
tainly those  of  Tan- 
agra,  found  in  a  vast 
number  of  graves, 
dating  from  the 
fourth  and  third  cen- 
turies before  Christ. 
They  have  the  free- 
dom and  nature  of 
everyday  life,  as 
seen  in  market  place 
and  home,  the  city 
and  country,  citizens, 
traders,  farmers, 
vinedressers,  sing- 
ers, fighters,  and  fine 
ladies.  In  later 
stages  the  design  of  these  seems  to  have  changed, 
and  they  appear  to  have  been  buried  for  the  sole 
solace  of  the  deceased,  to  give  them  glimpses  of  the 
life  they  had  lost. 


.jt 


Demeter 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO  SCULPTURE  243 

"  The  religious  idea  was  merged  in  the  human, 
and  yet  these  statues  were  usually  broken  before 
they  were  thrown  into  the  tombs;  but  here  they 
are,  as  moving  in  life,  dancers  with  a  spirit  of  grace 
on  their  flying  steps  like  a  zephyr's  breath,  the 
queenly  repose  of  seated  forms,  and  those  walking 
under  the  queer  pointed  hats  and  parasols  with 
measured  steps,  the  glint  of  beauty  on  them  still, 
the  coloring  enough  to  lend  them  brightness,  the 
sweet  nobility  of  some  of  the  faces,  evident  types 
of  Greeks  found  in  countrv  and  hill  towns,  with 
now  and  then  a  coarse  figure  and  a  broad  cari- 
cature. These  tiny  figures  have  also  been  found 
at  Tegea,  Cyprus,  and  Myrina  in  Asia  Minor,  in 
Lokris,  Athens,  Eleusis,  Chalkis,  Megara,  and  Crete; 
brought  to  light  mostly  by  peasants  who  drove  a 
brisk  trade  with  them,  so  that  they  were  irretrieva- 
bly scattered ;  ...  all  showing  that  the  art  created 
by  this  rapid  work,  and  which  gives  us  true  pic- 
tures of  old  Greek  life,  was  bv  no  means  confined  to 
one  locality,  as  Tanagra  in  Bceotia,  but  was  spread 
wherever  the  Greek  artist  was  found,  and  proves 
that  he  was  capable  of  producing  realistic  as  well  as 
idealistic  art — in  fine,  impressionism  in  sculpture."^ 

^  Greek  Art  on  Greek  Soil,  by  James  M.  Hoppin. 


244 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


Diehl,  in  his  Excursions  in  Greece,  describes 
the  process  of  making  these  Uttle  clay  images,  and 
tells  us  something  of  the  colors  which  were  used. 

After  the  modeling 
by  the  potter,  he 
says,  "the  clay  was 
allowed  to  dry;  it 
was  then  fired  and 
afterward  returned 
to  the  workman's 
hands  in  order  to 
be  painted.  It  was 
first  dipped  into 
a  bath  of  lime  or 
chalk,  that  formed 
a  creamy  white  sur- 
face, which  took 
the  colors  better 
than  the  porous 
clay,  and  then  it 
was  painted  from 
head  to  foot.  The  drapery  w^as  generally  colored 
blue,  red,  or  pink;  but  besides  these  tints,  black, 
yellow,  green,  and  a  light  violet  were  often  used. 
Jewels  and  ornaments,  diadems,  bracelets,  and  ear- 


FiGURiNE :  Woman  and  Maiden 


COLOR  AS  APPLIED  TO   SCULPTURE  245 

rings  were  gilded,  and  the  hair  was  painted  a  beau- 
tiful reddish  brown,  recalling  the  auburn  tresses 
of  which  the  Boeotian  women  were  so  proud ;  the 
lips  were  red,  the  pupil  of  the  eye  pale  blue,  while 
the  eyebrows,  very  much  prolonged,  recall  the 
fact  that  antimony  was  known  in  ancient  times ; 
the  cheeks,  lastly,  were  given  a  pale  pink  hue. 
Sometimes  the  colors  were  fixed  by  firing  a  second 
time  with  a  gentle  heat,  but  this  is  the  exception 
rather  than  the  rule,  and  consequently  many  of  the 
figurines  have  lost  their  original  brightness,  through 
their  long  burial,  though  many  statuettes  have  been 
found  both  at  Tanagra  and  at  Myrina  which  have 
retained  an  incomparable  freshness  of  coloring." 


CHAPTER  IV 

GRECO-EGYPTIAN   PORTRAITS   AND   GRECO- 
ROMAN   MOSAICS 

Greco- Egyptian  portraits  found  at  Fayum  —  Place  largely  inhabited 
by  Greeks  —  Custom  of  embalming — Painted  image  or  plastic  head 

—  Painted  panel  inserted — Variety  in  excellence  —  Earlier  probably 
the  better — Difference  in  material  —  Wax  colors  or  distemper  — 
Preparation  of  panel  —  Appealing  expression  —  Modern  character  — 
" Asklepiades,  eight  years  old"  —  Description  of  a  portrait  in  the 
Graf  collection  —  Portrait  of  a  man  —  Style  of  technique  —  Two  in 
Museum  of  Fine  Arts — Mr.  Petrie's  excavations — Mr.  Ebers'  sum- 
mary—  Nationality,  use,  period  of  execution  —  Realistic   treatment 

—  Portraits  of  heathen  —  Relation  to  Pompeian  portraits.     Mosaics 

—  Antiquity  —  Greek  mosaic  —  Pliny's  reference  to  it  —  Replicas  in 
Rome  —  Doves  —  Wall  mosaic  in  fountain  decoration  —  Floor  mosaic 

—  Dog  from  House  of  Tragic  Poet  —  Mosaic  of  cat  with  bird  — 
Ducks  and  fish  —  House  of  the  Faun  —  Battle  of  Issos  —  Impor- 
tance—  Nile  mosaic  from  Palestrina  —  Best  mosaics  from  Pompeii 
in  National  Museum,  Naples. 


Greco-Egyptian  Portrait  Painting 

Until  recently  almost  nothing  has  been  known  of 
this  expression  of  the  Greek  painters'  art,  but  by 
rare  good  fortune  there  were  discovered,  less  than 
twenty  years  ago,  in  the  cave  cemeteries  of  Rubaijat 

in  the  province  of  Fayum  in  central  Egypt,  portraits 

246 


GRECO-EGYPTIAN   PORTRAITS  247 

painted  on  wood  and  bearing  unmistakable  evi- 
dence of  Greco-Egyptian  origin.  This  discovery 
has  been  the  means  of  letting  us  into  the  secrets  of 
the  Greek  portrait  painters'  art  of  two  thousand  or 
more  years  ago. 

The  region  of  Fayum,  Egypt,  was  largely  inhab- 
ited by  Greeks,  and  since  the  third  century  before 
Christ  the  native  people  had  largely  adopted  Greek 
culture.  Their  custom  of  embalming  the  bodies  of 
those  who  had  died  goes  back  to  the  far  and  dim 
regions  of  antiquity.  Not  only  was  the  mummy 
carefully  preserved,  but  the  likeness  of  the  head 
was  very  carefully  copied  in  order  that  the  image 
of  the  individual  might  be  as  closely  suggestive  of 
the  living  human  being  as  possible.  In  these  tombs, 
however,  in  place  of  the  plastic  head,  a  portrait  of 
the  deceased  was  inserted  between  the  folds  of  em- 
balming linen,  and  it  is  to  this  fortunate  circum- 
stance that  we  are  indebted  for  the  preservation  of 
these  rarely  interesting  examples  of  portrait  paint- 
ing. Many  of  the  tombs  have  long  since  been  rifled 
by  treasure  seekers,  but  even  that  has  not  been 
wholly  disastrous,  because  when  flung  out  into  the 
sand  of  the  desert  the  dry  air  and  still  drier  soil 
have  both  been  preserving  agencies. 


248  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

The  portrait  was  painted  on  a  thin  panel  of  wood, 
the  head  the  size  of  Hfe,  often  a  portion  of  the  dra- 
pery showing,  reveaHng  sometimes  a  badge,  a  jewel, 
or  ornament  of  gold.  This  panel,  laid  over  the  face 
of  the  mummy,  might  well  cause  the  discoverer  to 
start  back  with  surprise,  so  lifelike  is  it,  so  suggest- 
ive of  the  types  of  humanity  one  is  familiar  with 
to-day.  As  indicative  of  the  portrait  painters'  skill, 
despite  the  fact  that  they  differ  greatly  in  technical 
ability,  these  portraits  fully  prove  that  the  high  place 
which  Greek  writers  have  ascribed  to  the  Greek 
painters  was  no  exaggeration. 

As  we  study  them  distinct  differences  appear, 
due  partly  to  the  varying  degrees  of  ability  in  the 
artists,  —  some  evidently  being  the  work  of  highly 
skilled  painters  whom  the  rich  could  afford  to  em- 
ploy, others  being  the  work  of  indifferent  craftsmen, 
whose  clumsy  technique  indicates  inferior  workman- 
ship, —  or  again  due  quite  probably  to  a  difference 
in  time,  the  more  perfect  belonging  doubtless  to  an 
earlier  age. 

There  is,  too,  a  difference  in  material.  Some  are 
painted  with  wax  colors  by  a  burning-in  process ; 
others  in  distemper,  that  is,  water  colors  to  which 
a  certain  amount  of  yolk  or  white  of  egg,  or  milk 


GRECO-EGYPTIAN   PORTRAITS  249 

of  figs  was  added  to  insure  adhesion  of  sufficient 
firmness. 

The  painting  in  wax  colors  was  called  by  Pliny 
—  who  tells  us  all  that  we  know  of  the  ancient  pro- 
cess—  encaustic  painting.  The  colors  were  mixed 
with  wax  and  laid  on  with  a  oestrum,  or  tool 
shaped  in  such  a  manner  that  the  color  could  be 
taken  up  on  the  flat  end,  smoothed  down  or  run 
together  by  the  edges,  picked  out  with  the  point, 
or  blended  with  the  sides.  After  all  was  done  a 
hot  iron  rod  or  flat  bar  was  held  over  the  picture ; 
this  softened  the  wax  and  fused  the  varying  parts 
together.^ 

When  distemper  was  used  the  panel  had  to  be 
carefully  prepared,  either  covered  with  a  mixture 
of  chalk  and  glue  or  else  with  a  coarse  canvas  to 
which  this  preparation  was  applied.  Sometimes 
several  layers  of  this  canvas  were  fastened  together, 
forming  a  sufficiently  firm  ground  without  the 
wooden  panel.  In  some  of  the  best  portraits  there 
seems  to  be  a  mixture  of  the  two  processes,  which 

1  For  further  details  of  the  process  see  treatise  by  Otto  Donner  von 
Richter:  Uber  Technisches  in  der  Malerei  der  Alten,  ins  besondere  in 
deren  Enkaiistik.  Praktische  und  chem.-tech.  Mittheilungen  fiir  Malerei, 
etc.,  A.  Klein,  Munich,  1885;  also  by  the  same.  Die  enkaustische  Malerei 
der  Alten.,  Allgem.  Zeitung,  Beilage,  18S8,  No.  180. 


250  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

enabled  the  painter  to  add  a  few  surface  strokes 
as  finishing  touches,  accenting  the  eyebrows  and 
lashes  or  the  curve  of  the  lips. 

Looking  out  from  these  panels  of  wood  we  see 
large  appealing  eyes  that  seem  to  question  us  with 
mute  yearning.  There  is  a  surprising  likeness  to 
life  about  them.  Not  only  do  the  eyes  appealingly 
search  our  own,  but  the  lips  seem  ready  to  part  in 
answer  to  questions  which  rise  to  our  lips :  Who 
are  you,  you  spirit  from  the  far,  dim  past,  whose 
term  of  life  ended  some  two  thousand  or  more  years 
before  mine  began  1  As  far  as  form  of  feature  and 
expression  of  countenance  go,  these  might  be  our 
own  kith  and  kin,  beings  of  to-day,  so  modern,  so 
familiar  are  they. 

One  portrait,  the  likeness  of  a  young  boy,  has 
inscribed  upon  it  in  Greek  letters:  "Asklepiades, 
eight  years  old.  Be  of  good  cheer."  We  find  in 
the  catalogue  of  the  Graf  collection,  which  was  ex- 
hibited in  this  country  a  few  years  ago,  a  number  of 
interesting  inscriptions:  "head  of  a  boy  with  large 
eyes  and  black  hair.  The  lock  descends  behind  the 
ear.  The  face  is  of  a  very  dark  complexion,  the 
gloss  and  color  of  which  have  been  excellently  well 
preserved  by  the  uncommonly  mellow  laying-on  of 


GRECO-EGYPTIAN   PORTRAITS 


251 


wax  colors.  The  numerous  impressions  of  the  oes- 
trum are  very  clearly  defined  in  this  picture,  which  is 
therefore  particularly 
instructive  for  this 
kind  of  encaustic  paint- 
ing ;  the  white  garment 
adorned  with  purple 
stripes  is  painted  with 
the  brush. 

"The   portrait   of    a 
man  wearing  a  golden 
wreath  has  a  scarf-like 
ribbon  and  a  violet 
blue  upper  garment,  no 
doubt  denoting  a  noble 
dignitary.    Traces  of  a 
gold  clasp  are  discerni- 
ble on  the  niantle.   The 
left  corner  has  been 
substituted.     The  left 
breast    shows    a   large 
gold  button,  which  in- 
duced   Professor   Maspero   to  consider  the   person 
represented  as   one  of  the  initiated  in  the  myster- 
ies of  I  sis.     By  the  freshness  and  brilliancy  of  the 


Portrait  of  a  Man,  Pay  Cm, 
Egypt 


252  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

colors  the  painting  appears  almost  like  a  painting 
in  oil. 

"  The  remarkable  head  is  narrow  in  form,  drawn 
out  considerably,  and  terminating  in  a  pointed  chin 
covered  with  a  slight  down.  The  neck  is  excessively- 
long  and  slender.  Technical  execution:  Head  and 
garments  are  executed  in  encaustic,  the  former  with 
the  oestrum,  very  smooth  and  neat,  the  latter  with 
the  brush." 

The  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  Boston,  owns  two 
fragments  which  are  among  the  best  examples  of 
Greco-Egyptian  work.  Both  have  regular  features, 
and  one,  in  purple  robe  and  necklace,  is  specially 
fine  both  in  color  and  drawing.  The  colors  are 
laid  on  in  little  flat  strokes,  scarcely  blended  at  all, 
and  yet  by  such  careful  gradation  that  an  effect 
of  roundness  is  produced  quite  modern  in  result. 
The  eyes  are  specially  lifelike,  one  color  superim- 
posed upon  another  in  such  a  w^ay  as  to  give  a 
crisp,  sparkling,  bright  look  of  life. 

The  panels  in  the  Graf  collection,  which  are 
now  scattered  widely  over  Europe  and  America  both 
in  public  and  private  museums,  were  discovered 
by  Arab  diggers  quite  by  accident.  They  vary 
greatly  both  in  quality  and  antiquity.    Since  then 


GRECO-EGYPTIAN   PORTRAITS 


253 


Mr.  Petrie,^  in  1887,  made  careful  excavations  in 
the  cemeteries  of  Fayum,  which  have  resulted  in 
the  finding  of  many  valuable  examples  in  an  excel- 
lent state  of  preservation. 


Two  Portraits  from  Fayum,   Egypt 

Dr.  Georg  Ebers,^  who  has  carefully  examined 
the  portraits  in   Herr  Graf's  collection,  as  well  as 

^  Hawara,  by  W.  Flinders  Petrie,  London,  1890;  also  Ten  Years'  Dig- 
ging in  Egypt,  by  same  author,  published  by  the  Religious  Tract  Society, 
London,  1893. 

2  The  Hellenistic  Portraits  from  the  Fayum,  by  Georg  Ebers,  D.  Apple- 
ton  &  Co.,  1893. 


254 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


those  in  many  museums  in  Germany  and  elsewhere, 
derives  the  following  conclusions  from  his  study: 
"The  persons  interred  were  for  the  most  part  Hel- 
lenized  Egyptians  of  Greek  origin  .  .  .  the  portraits 
were  painted  originally  for  family  use  in  the  home. 

Some  were  re- 
moved to  be  at- 
tached  to  the 
m  u  m  my,  but 
most  of  them 
seem  to  have 
been  copies  on 
panels  of  cypress 
or  sycamore 
wood,  from  origi- 
nals painted  in 
fresco  on  the 
wall  of  a  room. 
"The  period 
of  their  execution  ranges  from  the  second  century 
before  Christ  —  probably  before  the  middle,  but 
possibly  not  before  the  last  years  of  it  under  the 
Ptolemies  —  to  the  time  of  the  Edict  of  Theodo- 
sius,  in  the  last  decade  of  the  fourth  century  after 
Christ.  .  .  . 


Portraits  of  P.  Paquius  Proculus 
AND  HIS  Wife,  Pompeii 


GRECO-EGYPTIAN   PORTRAITS 


255 


"  The  evidence  that  the  group  of  portraits  which 
include  the  best  must  have  been  painted  in  the  time 
of  the  Ptolemies  is  to  be  found  in  records  which 
prove  to  a  demonstration  that,  so  early  as  in  the 
second  century  before  Christ,  Hellenic  Egyptians  of 
Greek  extraction  were  preserved  as  mummies  and 
interred  in  the  PPjnpp 
Egyptian  man-  ,7 
ner;  it  is  also 
proved  by  the 
artistic  merits  of  '^, 
the  portraits; 
and  in  the  third 
place,  the  highly 
realistic  treat- 
ment of  the  best, 
and  therefore 
the   earliest,   can  Sappho,  Pompeii 

hardly  have  been  the  work  of  any  other  period  than 
the  second  century  before  Christ.  It  seems  impos- 
sible to  ascribe  it  to  any  other  epoch  of  Greek  art 
before  or  since.  The  realism  we  here  discern,  and 
which  was  then  prominent  not  in  art  alone  but  in 
learning  and  in  every  aspect  of  life,  obliges  us  to 
assign  this  date  for  the  execution  of  these  pictures. 


256  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

"  It  is  also  proved  without  question  that  these  por- 
traits were  pictures  of  heathen  people,  since  not  a 
single  example,  to  my  knowledge,  has  Christian  sym- 
bolism upon  it,  while  many  have  Egyptian  gods  and 
symbols  used  as  motives  of  decoration  on  the  gilt  case 
which  when  found  usually  inclosed  the  mummy. 

"  There  is  a  certain  similarity  between  some  of 
these  portraits  and  those  of  P.  Paquius  Proculus 
and  his  Wife,  which  were  found  in  the  House  of  the 
Baker,  Pompeii.  .  .  .  Since  we  know  that  the  most 
flourishing  period  of  art  in  Pompeii  was  during  the 
time  that  Alexandrian  influence  was  most  strongly 
felt,  it  is  certainly  an  interesting  fact  to  note  this 
relationship  even  should  it  not  be  possible  to  prove 
any  connection.  But  even  among  the  finest  Pom- 
peian  portraits  there  are  probably  none  that  can 
equal  the  finest  of  these  Fayum  portraits. 

"It  is  rather  a  noteworthy  fact  that  most  of  these 
pictures  represent  young  men  and  women  in  the 
prime  of  life  or  just  approaching  manhood  and 
womanhood.  There  are  few  of  childhood  or  old 
age.  Some  are  strikingly  beautiful,  others  are  real- 
istically individual,  and  all  have  that  appealing 
attraction  that  belongs  to  sincere,  unaffected  por- 
trait painting  of  every  age." 


GRECO-ROMAN   MOSAICS  257 

Mosaics 

The  art  of  mosaic  is  one  of  the  most  ancient,  dat- 
ing back  to  prehistoric  times.  It  originated  in  the 
East,  probably  in  the  simple  form  of  putting  together 
pebbles,  shells,  colored  stones,  or  brightly  colored 
pieces  of  glass,  for  the  beautifying  of  floors  or  the 
hearthstone.  Such  decoration  at  first  was  limited 
to  primitive  borders  of  linear  patterns ;  afterwards 
animal  and  conventional  flower  forms  were  used. 

The  Greeks  in  all  probability  employed  mosaic, 
although  but  little  is  left  to  show  its  use.^  In  the 
entrance  to  the  Temple  of  Zeus  at  Olympia  the 
French  discovered  a  mosaic  made  of  small  pebbles 
of  black,  white  and  brown,  yellow  and  red,  w^hich 
had  been  covered  over  by  Roman  workers  with 
pieces  of  colored  marble."  Pliny  writes  of  a  mosaic 
worker  in  Pergamos.  He  describes  the  subject  of 
the  mosaic  and  tells  how  the  effect  was  produced 

1  Dr.  Schliemann  records  the  finding  of  mosaic  pavement  in  the  halls 
of  the  king's  palace  at  Tiryns. 

2  Of  Roman  mosaic  work  on  Greek  soil  one  of  the  finest  is  that  at 
Melos.  In  the  Hall  of  the  Mysta;,  a  Roman  building  dating  from  the  first 
half  of  the  third  century,  the  mosaics  found  are  in  a  fair  state  of  preserva- 
tion. The  central  design  of  one  panel  is  of  a  vine  in  which  are  birds  and  a 
cock.  In  another  panel  are  fish.  Geometric  patterns  border  these  panels. 
For  further  account  see  Excavations  by  the  British  School  at  Melos,  by 
R.  C.  Bosanquet,  in  The  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XVIII,  1898. 


258 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


by  the  use  of  small  squares  of  various  colors.  He 
says:  "The  most  famous  in  this  art  is  Sosos,  who 
executed  in  Pergamos  an  '  unswept  house,'  so  called 
because  it  represented  the  remains  of  food  and  other 

sweepings  as  if 
left  about  on  the 
floor,  by  means 
of  little  cubes  of 
different  colors. 
Much  to  be  ad- 
mired herein  is 
a  dove  drinking 
and    darkening 

the  water  by  the 
shadow  of  its 

head ;  the  other 
doves  sun  and  plume  themselves  on  the  rim  of  the 
vessel." 

Of  course  these  famous  originals  no  longer  exist, 
but  replicas  of  the  same  subjects  have  been  found  in 
Rome  and  elsewhere.  In  the  former,  various  real- 
istic features  w^ere  introduced,  such  as  shells,  bones, 
fruit,  even  a  mouse.  The  finest  reproduction  of  the 
doves  was  found  in  Hadrian's  villa  at  Tivoli.  This 
mosaic,  which  is  one  of  the  most  charming  and  best 


Doves 


Fountain,  Pompeii 


259 


26o  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

known  of  all  ancient  mosaics,  is  now  in  the  Capito- 
line  Museum,  Rome.  The  attitudes,  the  iridescent 
colors  of  plumage,  and  the  grouping  of  birds  are  full 
of  charm. 

Of  mosaic  work  applied  to  wall  surfaces  few  ex- 
amples are  preserved ;  but  at  Pompeii  excavations 
show  that  mosaic  was  employed  for  the  decoration  of 
wall  areas,  beside  fountains,  or  to  fill  certain  spaces 
in  a  room  or  vestibule.  We  well  recollect  a  foun- 
tain in  which  shells,  bits  of  glass,  and  pebbles  are 
arranged  in  rows  or  bands,  forming  decorative 
repeats  of  very  pleasing  pattern. 

Occasionally  a  head  with  startled  eyes  looks 
forth,  or  grotesque  animals  —  birds,  fish,  and  ser- 
pents —  form  the  decorative  scheme,  or  a  water  god 
opens  his  mouth  to  let  forth  the  stream  of  water. 
More  often,  however,  sculpture  is  used  with  mosaic, 
as  in  the  House  of  the  Large  Fountain,  where  the 
water,  flowing  from  the  sculptured  mask  of  a  satyr, 
falls  down  over  a  flight  of  steps. 

In  most  Pompeian  houses  the  floor  is  covered  by 
means  of  tiles  pressed  into  soft  stucco,  and  later 
polished  to  an  even  surface ;  but  in  houses  of  the 
better  class  mosaic  is  frequently  applied  to  floors 
in  simple  decorative  patterns  of  black  and  white. 


GRECO-ROMAN   MOSAICS 


261 


Sometimes  a  figure  design  forms  the  central  spot 
in  which  rich  and  pleasing  color  effects  result ;  or 
again,  a  threshold  or  vestibule  floor  is  worked  out 
quite  elaborately 
in  some  original 
motive,  such  as 
the  striking  fig- 
ure of  a  dog,  from 
the  House  of  the 
Tragic  Poet,  in 
Pompeii,  which 
is  shown  in  the 
illustration;  or 
as  in  the  thresh- 
o  1  d  from  the 
House   of   the 

Faun,  wherein 

,  r     .  ,  Cave  Canem,  Pompeii 

leaves,  truit,  and 

flowers  intertwine  and  thus  form  a  rich  background 

against  which  niasks  appear  at  intervals. 

One  of   the   most  original   mosaics  of  this   kind 

represents  a  cat  —  probably  a  wild  creature,  since 

the  cat  was  not  domesticated  until  a  later  period  — 

holding  under  her  paw  a  bird  struggling,  with  wing 

and  tail  outspread,  to  free  herself  from  the  clutches 


■CTm 


262  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

of  her  foe.  In  the  panel  below  are  ducks  swimming 
on  the  water,  in  which  can  plainly  be  seen  fish  and 
shells  of  various  kinds,  most  realistically  portrayed, 
delicate  and  harmonious  in  coloring.  The  House 
of  the  Faun  is  peculiarly  rich  in  mosaic,  and  here 
was  found  that  most  famous  of  all  mosaic  pictures, 
usually  known  as  the  Battle  between  Alexander 
and  Darius.^  This  can  now  be  seen  in  the  Naples 
Museum.  It  is  remarkably  modern  in  spirit,  sur- 
prisingly daring  and  successful  in  achievement. 
The  subject  represents  a  battle  between  the  Greeks 
and  the  Persians,  —  probably  the  battle  of  Issos, 
fought  under  Alexander  233  b.c. 

Alexander  leads  the  charge  against  Darius.  His 
torso  and  the  horse's  head  and  neck  are  fortunately 
uninjured,  and  well  reward  a  close  study.  Alexan- 
der's head  realistically  suggests  light  and  shade  by 
the  skillful  use  of  mosaic,  and  the  details  of  his 
cuirass  are  wrought  with  infinite  care. 

The  composition  is  extraordinarily  spirited.  On 
the  right  many  combatants  press  forward,  crowded 
together  in  wild  confusion.  Horsemen,  still  mounted 
or  already  fallen,  show  by  their  attitudes  and  by  their 
tense,   stern    expression    the    emotional  excitement 

1  For  reproduction  of  details  from  this  mosaic  see  pp.  134,  135. 


GRECO-ROMAN   MOSAICS 


263 


under  which  they  labor.  The  trappings  of  war, 
—  hehiiet,  cuirass,  spear,  shield,  and  battle-ax, — 
as  well  as  the  very  patterns  on  their  costumes,  are 


Fish,  Pompeii 


rendered  with  painstaking  fidelity.  The  extraor- 
dinary foreshortening  of  a  horse  near  the  center 
of  the  picture  is  a  courageous  bit  of  work.    As  a 


264  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

composition  the  whole  design  is  managed  with 
great  skill.  It  is  a  splendid  example  of  Greco- 
Roman  work  at  its  best. 

This  mosaic  is  probably  a  copy  of  the  original 
picture  by  Helena/  a  Greek  painter  w^ho  lived  at 
the  time  that  the  battle  of  Issos  was  fought,  and 
who  was  known  to  have  painted  the  subject. 
Vespasian  removed  the  picture  to  Rome,  where 
it  was  soon  after  copied  in  mosaic.  Its  colors, 
although  less  bright  than  when  it  was  discovered 
in  183 1,  are  harmonious,  and  undoubtedly  give 
us  a  fair  idea  of  the  original  color  scheme.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  important  examples  of  Greco- 
Roman  mosaic  in  existence. 

At  Palestrina  was  found  what  is  probably  the 
largest  of  all  antique  mosaic  pictures,  called  the 
Nile  Mosaic.  This  shows  a  view  of  Egyptian  land- 
scape,—  the  land  inundated  by  water  at  the  over- 
flowing of  the  river.  Boats,  birds,  islands  covered 
with  buildings,  temples,  arbors,  and  dwellings,  and 
the  distant  desert  filled  with  curious  monsters,  make 
up  an  indescribably  varied  composition. 

The  main  point  of  interest  is  a  festal  ceremony 
taking  place  before  a  temple.    No  one  knows  exactly 

iSee  page  133. 


GRECO-ROMAN   MOSAICS 


26=; 


what  the  scene  represents  or  what  is  its  historical 
significance.  There  is  no  perspective  and  but  slight 
variety  in  size  to  indicate  the  different  planes  of 
distance.    We  can   only  estimate   it   as  an  exceed- 


Detail  of  Nile  Mosaic,  Palestrina 

ingly  interesting  relic  of  an  earlier  age.    This  mosaic 
is  now  in  the  Naples  Museum. 

The  best  examples  of  mosaic  work  from  Pompeii 
have  been  removed  to  the  National  Museum,  Naples. 
There,  and  at  Rome,  can  be  seen  all  the  finest 
examples  from  central  and  lower  Italy. 


CHAPTER   V 

MURAL   PAINTING 

Mtiral  Painting  in  Greece:  Its  importance  —  Scarcity  of  actual 
remains  in  Greece  —  Hope  for  important  discoveries  —  Mural  remains 
in  Greece  —  Discoveries  at  Tiryns,  Mykenas  —  Bull  fresco  at  Tiryns 

—  Long  parallel  bands  at  Mykenae — ^  Blue  glass-paste  at  Tiryns  — 
Excavations  at  Knossos,  Crete  —  Cupbearer — Frieze,  a  ceremonial 
procession  —  Miniature  work  —  Mykenaean  shrine  —  Fresco  of  fish 
and  dolphins  —  Figure  in  yellow  jacket —  Figure  on  galloping  bull  — 
Three  figures  in  circus  show —  Seated  figure  by  shrine  —  Fish  fresco 

—  Excavations  at  Phylakopi,  Melos  —  Mykenaean  palace  —  Wall 
paintings  —  Flying  fish  frieze —  Colors  used  —  Reference  to  Knossos 

—  Seated  male  figure  —  Stooping  male  figure —  Frieze  of  lilies  —  Bird 
• —  Paintings  on  terra  cotta  metopes,  Temple  of  Apollo,  Thermon. 

Mural  Painting  in  Italy :  Etruscan  wall  paintings  —  Greco- 
Roman  painting  —  Etruria  —  Oldest  500  B.C.  —  Plaques  at  C^ere  — 
Chiusi  —  Corneto  —  Tarquinian  necropolis  —  Grotta  del  Barone  — 
Grotta  delle  Bighe  —  Band  of  dancing  figures  —  Band  of  figures  in 
chariot  race  —  Funeral  banquet — ^  Gymnastic  sports  —  Beauty  and 
color  —  Grotta  del  Tifone  —  Grotta  della  Querciola  —  Grotta  del 
Triclinio  —  Best  work  probably  contemporary  with  Apelles  —  Ban- 
quet scene  —  Sarcophagus  efiigy  —  Greek  mythology  —  Tomba  dell' 
Oreo  —  Banquet  scene  —  Mythological  scene  —  Summary. 

Rome:  Number  and  importance  —  Period  and  style  —  Baths  of 
Trajan  —  Lateran  —  Villa  Albani  —  Aldobrandini  Marriage  —  Odys- 
sey landscapes  in  Vatican  Library —  Color  and  style  —  Via  Latina  — 
Columbarium  of  Villa  Pamphili  —  Villa  of  Livia  —  House  of  Livia 

—  Mythological  subjects  —  Landscape  and  street  scenes  —  Farnesina 
Palace  —  Summary. 

Southern  Italy:  Greek  influences  —  Paestum,  Herculaneum,  and 
Pompeii  —  Color  and  method  of  work — Frescoes  in  Naples  Museum 

—  Five  pictures    signed  Alexander   of  Athens  —  Roman   scenes  — 

266 


MURAL  PAINTING  267 

From  Paestum  —  Pompeii — Brief  account  of  its  destruction  —  Wall 
decorations  —  Four  periods —  Pre-Roman  period  —  House  of  Sallust 
—  Incrustation  style  —  Similar  examples  in  Greek  cities —  Importance 
of  the  picture  in  scheme  of  decoration  — •  Ornate  style  —  House  of 
Spurius  Mesor — Intricate  style — Complicated  architectural  decora- 
tions—  House  of  the  Tragic  Poet — Scenes  from  the  Trojan  War— • 
Nuptials  of  Zeus  and  Hera  —  Departure  of  Briseis  —  Sacrifice  of 
Iphigeneia — House  of  the  Vettii  —  Mythological  subjects  —  Cupid 
scenes  in  industrial  occupations  —  Other  mythological  groups  — 
Herakles  strangling  the  serpents  —  Dirke  and  the  Bull  —  Painters  as 
craftsmen —  Color — Landscape  sym.bolism  —  Composition  —  Sum- 
mary. 

Among  all  ancient  examples  of  the  painter's  art, 
mural  decoration  holds  by  far  the  most  important 
place. 

If  it  were  only  possible  to  go  back  seventeen 
hundred  years  or  more  to  the  time  of  Pausa- 
nias  and  stand  with  him  in  that  assembly  room  at 
Delphi,  or  better  still  to  ascend  the  slope  of  the 
Akropolis  at  Athens,  and,  at  the  Propylaia,  turning 
to  the  left,  enter  the  Portico,  the  Painted  Gallery  as 
he  calls  it,  what  should  we  not  be  able  then  to  say 
of  mural  painting  in  Greece  !  But,  alas  !  not  a  trace 
remains  of  that  splendid  art ;  not  a  vestige  survives 
of  those  scenes  from  the  Trojan  War,  or  those  idyls 
from  the  Odyssey,  the  work  of  that  great  early 
master,  Polygnotos.  Where  are  the  Wrestlers  by 
Timainetos,  or  the  battle  scenes  of  Attalos,  each 
"ten    cubits    in   size,"  the    Battle   of    Marathon  by 


268  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

Panainos,  or  the  scene  paintings  of  Agatharchos? 
We  seek  in  vain  for  even  a  trace  of  what  once  filled 
the  heart  and  mind  of  the  beholder  with  enthusiasm 
and  admiration. 

That  mural  painting  held  a  place  of  importance, 
that  architect,  sculptor,  and  painter  worked  together 
in  harmony  and  mutual  cooperation,  there  is  no 
doubt.  But  while  marble  endures,  pigments  decay, 
and  color  becomes  the  fleeting  companion  of  time. 
Nevertheless,  there  is  much  to  be  grateful  for,  and 
that  anything  survives  this  long  lapse  of  time  — 
twenty-five  hundred  years  or  more  —  should  fill  us 
with  gratitude  in  the  place  of  useless  regrets. 

The  discovery  of  mural  paintings  in  Greece  be- 
longs to  the  last  thirty  years,  and  it  is  only  during 
the  last  ten  or  fifteen  years  that  some  of  the  most 
valuable  discoveries  in  this  line  of  the  painter's  art 
are  being  made.  Why  is  it  not,  therefore,  possible 
—  indeed,  even  probable  —  that  still  richer  results 
await  the  excavator's  zeal  in  the  near  future  ? 

We  add  accounts  written  by  archaeologists  who 
themselves  have  conducted  the  excavations  already 
made  at  Tiryns,  Mykense,  Knossos,  Phylakopi,  and 
Thermon,  which  have  resulted  in  such  important 
finds,  particularly  in  the  region  of  mural  decoration. 


MURAL  PAINTING 


269 


Mural  Painting  in  Greece:  Tiryns 

"  The  halls  were  carefully  paved  with  a  kind  of 
mosaic,  in  some  places  resembling  a  carpet,  and 
decorated  with  mural  paintings  and  carved  orna- 
ments, of   which  some  very    interesting   fragments 


Frieze  and  Spiral  Band,  Myken^ 

have  been  recovered.  One  of  the  most  remark- 
able is  a  charming  alabaster  frieze,  inlaid  with  blue 
glass-paste,  which  ornamented  the  vestibule  of  the 
megaron,  and  reproduced  patterns  already  famil- 
iar at  Mykenoe,  at  Menidi,  and  at  Orchomenos. 
The  frescoes  on  the  walls  are  not  less  interesting, 
and  throw  a  curious  light  on  the  early  history  of 


270  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

painting  in  Greece.  Sometimes  wide  parallel  stripes 
of  different  colors  are  painted  upon  the  coating  of 
lime ;  sometimes  we  find  flowers,  rosettes,  mean- 
ders, spirals,  the  arrangements  of  which  offer  strik- 
ing analogies  with  the  sculptured  ceiling  found  in 
the  beehive  tomb  at  Orchomenos. 

"  In  other  places  the  human  figure  begins  to 
appear;  a  quantity  of  fragments  have  been  discov- 
ered, forming  part  of  those  winged  monsters  so 
dear  to  the  imagination  of  early  artists ;  but  the 
most  remarkable  of  these  paintings  is  that  which 
represents  a  furious  bull,  upon  whose  back  is  a  man 
half  kneeling.  It  must  be  admitted  that  the  tech- 
nique of  these  frescoes  is  still  very  rude.  The 
painter's  palette  has  only  five  colors  —  black  and 
white,  blue,  red,  and  yellow  —  but  their  effect  was 
none  the  less  striking  when  they  shone  with  all 
the  brilliancy  of  their  simple  coloring.  .  .  . 

"  We  have  already  pointed  out  the  striking  anal- 
ogies which  exist  between  the  paintings  of  Tiryns 
and  the  carved  ceiling  of  Orchomenos.  There  is  no 
less  resemblance  between  these  frescoes  and  those 
which  decorate  the  palace  of   Mykence,^  where  we 

^  See  Mykenische  Studien,  I,  by  Chr.  Belger,  in  Jahrbuch  des  Kaiser- 
lich  Deutschen  Archaologischen  Instituts,  Band  X,  1905. 


MURAL   PAINTING 


271 


again  find  the  long  parallel  band  of  different  colors, 
and  the  timid  attempts  in  which  the  artist  endeavors 
to  represent  the  shapes  of  men  and  animals.  The 
pottery  found  at  Tiryns  is  on  the  whole  in  the 
same  style  as  the  vases  at  Mykena: ;  the  frieze  of 


■j^na!.  MtrJi...^JniiVii7?ru,iJUlk^ 


\.    ■,•-■ 
Bull  Fresco,  Tiryns,  —  Fragment  of  a  Wall   Painting 

the  palace  is  exactly  similar  in  design  and  the  pat- 
terns in  use  both  there  and  at  Menidi — and  lastly 
oriental  influence  has  left  its  traces  on  both."^ 

"  The  blue  glass-paste  with  which  the  alabas- 
ter  frieze  of  the  megaron    is  inlaid,    is  an   oriental 

1  Account  of  the  Discoveries  of  the  King's  Palace  at  Tiryns  in  1S84- 
1885  by  Dr.  Schliemann. 

For  further  account  of  Homeric  houses  see  article  On  the  Plan  of  the 
Homeric  House  with  Special  Reference  to  Mykena;an  Analogies,  by  J. 
L.  Mvers,  in  The  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XX,  1900. 


272  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

importation.  This  method  of  decoration  was  in 
use  in  Egypt  from  the  most  remote  antiquity,  but 
she  received  the  raw  material  from  Phoenicia,  and  it 


Fragment  of  a  Wall  Painting,  Tiryns 

was  from  Phoenician  manufactories  that  those  glass- 
pastes  colored  with  copper  salts  were  brought  into 
Greece,  .  .  .  with  which  Homer,  too,  was  acquainted, 
and  which  he  speaks  of  under  the  name  Kyanos 
as  decorating  the  frieze  in  the  palace  of  Alkinoos."^ 

1  Excursions  in  Greece,  by  C.  Diehl. 


■Si 

O 

X 
■S: 

o 
y. 


273 


274 


THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


Wall  Paintings  at  Knossos 

Following  is  an  account  ^  of  recent  excavations 
conducted  by  Dr.  Arthur  J,  Evans  at  Knossos, 
Crete.     Here  and  at  Phaistos  important  wall  paint- 


M 


■^ 


V 


Fresco  :  Cat  stalking  a  Bird,  Phaistos,  Crete 

ings  have   been  discovered   which    throw  valuable 
light  on  painting  of  the  Mykenoean  period. 

"  The  wall    paintings    constitute   almost  as   pre- 
cious a  discovery  as  the  tablets,  for  the  specimens  of 


1  Published  in  The  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vols.  XX,  XXI,  and 
XXII,  under  the  heading  Archaeology  in  Greece. 


MURAL  PAINTING  275 

Mykena.^an  fresco  work  obtained  at  Tiryns,  Myke- 
nae,  and  Phylakopi,  are  comparatively  few  in  number 
and  fragmentary.  The  best  of  those  from  Knossos 
is  the  Cupbearer,  found  in  the  corridor  near  the 
southwest  angle.  It  is  the  life-size  figure  of  a  boy. 
The  head  with  its  strong  profile,  somewhat  full  lips, 
and  high  skull,  is  intact.  The  fiesh  is  painted  a 
warm  dark  red,  against  which  the  bright  chequered 
pattern  of  the  loin  cloth  is  sharply  relieved.  He 
wears  a  necklace  and  armlets,  and  a  signet  tied  by 
a  string  about  his  wrist.  He  carries  a  tall,  funnel- 
shaped  vase,  the  blue  and  red  coloring  of  which 
apparently  betokens  silver  with  gold  mounting. 
Remains  of  a  painted  frieze  representing  men  and 
women,  walking  apparently  in  some  kind  of  cere- 
monial procession,  were  found  upon  the  wall  of  the 
western  piazza.  In  many  cases  only  the  feet  are 
preserved,  but  enough  survives  to  show  that  the 
central  figure  was  a  woman  in  a  richh'  embroidered 
robe.  On  the  same  wall  was  part  of  a  spirited 
galloping  bull.  .  .  . 

"  In  many  of  the  eastern  rooms  were  found  frag- 
ments of  exquisite  miniature  work.  These  designs, 
which  arc  narrow  friezes  painted  with  great  delicacy 
upon  a  prevailing  light  blue  background,  represent 


276  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

parties  of  women  seated  at  windows  and  in  courts 
and  gardens  before  buildings,  conversing  with  lively 
gestures.  Sometimes  they  seem  to  be  looking  down 
from  the  upper  rooms  of  a  house  whose  fa9ade 
is  represented  with  all  its  details.  Sometimes  the 
heads  of  men  are  seen,  but  the  separation  of  the 
sexes  is  strongly  marked,  and  the  men  are  always 
shown  upon  a  different  plane.  Very  remarkable  is 
the  elevation  of  a  Mykeneean  shrine,^  —  like  the  dove 
shrine  of  the  Akropolis  tombs,  —  outside  which  some 
of  the  female  figures  are  seated.  .  .  .  Another  in- 
teresting feature  of  the  new  megaron  itself  was  a 
small  private  staircase  in  its  north  wall,  leading  up 
to  the  thalamoi  or  bedroom  above.  Of  the  wall 
paintings  that  had  originally  adorned  the  megaron 
and  its  columnar  fore-hall,  some  important  remains 
were  discovered,  including  quite  an  aquarium  of 
fish,  with  parts  of  two  dolphins.  .  .  .  Here,  too,  was 
found  the  upper  part  of  a  figure  in  a  yellow  jacket 
and  a  light  diaphanous  robe,  whose  flying  tresses 
suggest  violent  action.  It  had  possibly  belonged  to 
a  scene  from  the  bull  ring.  Another  fragment  found 
here  shows  a  smaller  female  figure  nearly  nude, 
springing   from    above    and   seizing  the  horns  of  a 

1  See  frontispiece. 


MURAL   PAINTING 


77 


galloping  bull,  like  the  Tiryns  figure.  It  has,  more- 
over, been  possible  to  put  together  a  large  part  of 
the  painted  panel  found  in  1901,  giving  a  highly 
sensational  scene  from  a  Minoan  circus  show.  A 
Mykenaean    cowboy   is  seen    turning  a  somersault 


1' ALACK   AT    KXOSSOS 

over  the  back  c^f  a  charging  bull,  to  whose  horns, 
in  front,  clings  a  girl  in  boy's  costume,  while  another 
female  toreador  behind,  in  similar  deshabille,  stands 
with  outstretched  arms  as  if  to  catch  her,  as  she  is 
tossed  over  the  monster's  back.  The  whole  is  a  lour 
dc  force  of  the  Minoan  arena." 


278  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

Still  more  detailed  is  the  account  of  the  same 
discovery,'  in  which  the  writer  says  there  were  un- 
earthed "  some  fragments  of  a  fresco,  part  of  a  series 
in  a  curious  miniature  style,  found  in  a  room  to  the 
north  of  the  great  eastern  court  of  the  palace.  The 
associated  fragments  show  large  crowds  of  people  of 
both  sexes,  groups  of  elaborately  dressed  Mykenaean 
ladies  engaged  in  animated  conversation,  warriors 
armed  with  spears  and  javelins,  part  of  the  city 
walls  and  other  buildings.  .  .  .  The  open  space  in 
front  of  this  small  temple  is  crowded  with  men  and 
women,  the  sexes  being  'distinguished  according 
to  the  Egyptian  convention  by  their  being  colored 
respectively  reddish  brown  and  white.  To  facilitate 
this  effect  the  artist  has  availed  himself  of  a  kind 
of  pictorial  shorthand,  giving  the  outlines  of  the 
men  on  a  red  ground  and  of  the  women  on  a  white. 
A  seated  female  figure  is  also  depicted  with  her 
back  to  the  right  outer  wall  of  the  shrine  itself,  a 
useful  indication  of  its  comparative  dimensions." 

In  reference  to  the  figure,  previously  mentioned, 
wearing  the  yellow  jacket,  he  says :  "  It  is  not  dififi- 
cult  to  believe  that  figures  such  as  this,  surviving 
on  the  palace  walls  even  in  their  ruined  state,  may 

1  By  Dr.  Arthur  J.  Evans,  in  The  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XXI. 


MURAL  PAINTING 


2/9 


lie  at  the  root  of  the  Homeric  passage  describing 
the  works  of  Daidalos  at  Knossos  —  the  '  Choros  ' 
of  Ariadne."  ^ 

Of  the  fish  fresco  ah'eady  spoken  of,  the  same 
author  writes  ^ :  "  Still  another  decoration  undoubt- 
edly covered  the  rear  wall  of  the  megaron.  Although 
its  subject  can  be  reconstructed  with  great  diiTficulty 
by  putting  together  innumerable  fragments  of  painted 
stucco,  fallen  in  heaps,  yet  without  doubt  it  was  a 
large  marine  piece  containing  many  varieties  of  fish, 
which  were  colored  blue,  against  a  white  ground, 
while  at  the  same  time  the  marine  element  was 
gracefully  indicated  by  azure  wreaths  and  coils  of 
dotted  spray.  The  spray  and  bubbles  fly  off  at 
a  tangent  from  the  fins  and  tails  and  give  the 
whole  a  sense  of  motion  that  could  not  otherwise 
be  attained." 

Excavations  at  Phvlakopi  in  Melos 

In  1896  Dr.  Duncan  Mackenzie  began  excavating 
in  what  later  proved  most  fruitful  soil,  for  his  labors 
were  rewarded  by  the  discovery  of  a  city  of  consid- 
era])lc  size.  He  found  the  buildings  within  the 
town   belonging    to   three    distinct    })eriods.    "  With 

1  In  the  Annual  of  tlie  liiitish  School  at  Athens,  No.  VIII,  i(^oi-iyo2. 


28o  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

the  exception  of  the  Great  Wall,  the  most  remark- 
able building  yet  found  is  the  Mykenaean  Palace. 
In  front  of  it  was  a  spacious  courtyard  containing 
a  well,  lined  with  earthenware  cylinders.  A  portico 
of  comfortable  dimensions  and  facing  due  south, 
formed  the  entrance  to  the  megaron,  a  room  twenty- 
two  by  nineteen  feet,  paved  with  a  sort  of  rough 
plaster  and  having  a  square  hearth  in  the  middle. 
To  the  right  of  the  megaron  was  a  series  of  small 
rooms,  presumably  for  the  women. 

The  Wall  Paintings  at  Phylakopi  :    The  Frieze  of 

THE  P"lying  Fish 

"  Even  before  the  beginning  of  the  excavation  ^ 
certain  pieces  of  white  and  crimson  plaster,  picked 
up  on  the  seaward  face  of  the  mound,  had  sug- 
gested that  Phylakopi  might  yield  remains  of  wall 
paintings  comparable  with  those  of  Myken^e  and 
Tiryns.  The  hope  thus  aroused  at  our  first  visit 
in  April,  1896,  was  more  than  fulfilled  two  years 
later,  when  the  fragments  of  the  Flying  Fish  frieze, 
among  the  most  beautiful    of   Mykeneean  works  of 

1  Society  for  Promotion  of  Hellenic  Studies.  Plxcavations  at  Phylakopi 
in  Melos ;  conducted  by  the  British  School  at  Athens  ;  published  by  Mac- 
millan  and  Co.,  London,  1904. 


X 


•A 

y. 


< 
> 


281 


282  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

art,  were  discovered  in  a  small  room  of  the  second 
city.  .  .  . 

"  The  composition  at  this  left-hand  end  began 
with  a  fish  swooping  downwards  to  the  right:  the 
space  below  and  to  the  left  of  it  is  filled  by  a  mass 
of  the  conventional  rocks  that  limit  the  whole 
picture,  above  and  below.  .  .  .  The  same  fish  are 
repeated  again  and  again,  darting  upwards  or  down- 
wards, with  wings  now  closed,  now  outspread ; 
above  and  below  them,  a  fantastic  rocky  wall, 
clothed  with  sponges  and  striped  sea  eggs.  But  it 
is  not  the  mechanical  repetition  of  a  stencil  pattern ; 
the  draughtsman  knew  how  to  vary  his  design  in 
details  without  interrupting  the  rhythmic  move- 
ment that  ran  from  end  to  end  of  it.  The  general 
effect  of  the  delicate  coloring  and  lifelike  drawing 
is  singularly  like  that  of  Japanese  paintings  of  birds 
and  fish. 

"  Four  colors  were  used :  black  for  the  border 
and  outlines;  light  blue,  a  favorite  color  of  the 
Minoan  painter,  for  the  heads,  backs,  and  part  of 
the  wings  of  the  fish,  and  for  the  spray  or  bubbles 
round  about  them ;  yellow  for  their  bellies  and 
part  of  their  wings,  for  bands  alternating  with  light 
blue  on    the   sea  eggs  among  the    rocks,   and  for 


MURAL   PAli\TL\(i 


^^3 


certain  masses  sprinkled   with  black  points,  which 
can  hardly  be  other  than  sponges. 

"  Nothing  remains  of  a  fourth  color  w^hich  once 
covered  the  rocks  and  part  of  the  wings,  except  a 


VlKW    OF    PhVLAKOI'I 

difference  in  the  texture  of  the  surface,  which  be- 
trays the  presence  of  a  faded  pigment;  it  is  likely 
to  have  been  red,  since  red  is  rci^ularlv  used  in 
pictures  of  this  period.  We  have  to  imagine  the 
outline  of  the  rocks,  now  faint  and  uncertain,  filled 
in  with  a  deep  tint,  which  would  heighten  the  con- 
trast between  their  grotesque  forms  and  the  grace- 
ful lines  of  the  lixing  bodies  beside  them.  .  .  . 


284  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

"  The  same  color  scheme,  clear  tints  of  blue,  yel- 
low and  red  with  black  outlines  on  a  white  ground, 
appears  on  many  of  the  wall  paintings  at  Knossos, 
and  in  particular  on  a  small  series  associated  with 
the  Phylakopi  group,  by  the  introduction  of  human 
figures  drawn  in  outline.  In  point  of  subject  a 
parallel  is  furnished  by  the  great  picture  previously 
described  by  Mr.  Evans,  which,  though  on  a  larger 
scale  and  portraying  not  flying  fish  but  dolphins 
and  a  variety  of  other  kinds,  is  similar  in  style  and 
technique,  and  makes  the  same  use  of  'azure  wreath 
and  coils  of  dotted  spray '  to  indicate  the  sea. 

"  So  strong  is  the  resemblance  that  we  may  safely 
claim  the  Flying  Fish  as  a  product  of  Cretan  art. 
I  have  already  referred  to  the  fact  that  the  edges 
of  the  plaster  on  which  it  is  painted  have  a  smooth 
flat  surface,  as  though  the  picture  had  been  inclosed 
in  a  wooden  frame,  not  painted  on  an  existing  wall. 
The  same  holds  good  of  the  other  marine  piece 
found  with  it.  It  is  not  impossible  that  framed 
plaster  panels,  ready  painted,  were  exported  from 
Knossos  to  neighboring  towns."  .  .  . 

In  the  same  room  were  found  fragments  of  other 
paintings  on  a  larger  scale,  —  a  sea  piece,  badly 
marred,  the  seated  figure  of  a  "  man  holding  up  a 


MURAL  PAINTING 


^85 


piece  of  drapery,  blue  with  black  lines.  .  .  .  He 
wears  a  bracelet  on  each  wrist  and  a  belt  at  his 
waist,  all  painted  yellow  and  probably  meant  for 
gold.  Below  the  metal  belt  is  a  twisted  sash  of 
light  blue,  and  below  that  a  variegated  waist  cloth, 


Fisherman  o.\   Vase, 
Phaistos,  Crete 


FlfiURK    FROM     PhVLAKOI'I 

IdIuc,  red,  and  yellow,  em- 
broidered with  a  design  — 
two  birds  placed  back  to 
back  with  wings  outspread. 
Red  is  used  for  the  little  triangles  along  the  feath- 
ers, as  well  as  for  the  spiral  lines  in  the  bracelets, 
and  for  the  finger  nails,  which  were  perhaps  stained 
in  oriental  fashion. 

"Of  still  another  figure,  apparently  male,  we  have 
the  neck    adorned  with   a  necklace   tied   in  a   bow 


286  THE   (tRP:EK  PAINTERS'  ART 

behind,  the  shoulders,  and  the  upper  arms;  he  was 
stooping  forward  with  arms  close  together,  as  if 
holding  out  some  offering."  ...  In  another  room 
was  found  a  "quantity  of  dark  crimson  stucco  dec- 
orated with  white  lilies.  They  are  of  two  sizes,  but 
otherwise  alike,  formed  in  conventional  fashion  with 
two  white  sepals  and  three  yellow  stamens."  Still 
another  fragment  shows  "  part  of  a  bird  painted  in 
bright  colors  —  the  head  red,  the  back  ruddy  brown, 
the  wings  white  —  on  plaster  that  is  remarkably  thin 
and  smooth."  ^ 

Paintings  on  Terra  Cotta  Metopes,   Thermon, 

^TOLIA 

Thermon,  once  the  center  of  the  ^tolian  League, 
and  probably  an  assemblage  of  temples  and  pub- 
lic buildings  rather  than  a  town,  was  destroyed  in 
218  B.C.  Recent  excavations  have  disclosed  the 
Temple  of  Apollo,  and  here  in  the  sanctuary  of 
the  temple  were  found  several  unique  examples 
of  painted  terra  cotta  metopes.  As  the  age  of 
the  temple  can  scarcely  be  later  than  the  middle 
of  the  sixth  century  before  Christ,  the  metopes,  if 

1  R.  C.  Bosanquet,  in  Excavations  at  Phylakopi  in  Melos,  conducted 
by  the  British  School  at  Athens. 


MURAL   PAINTING 


287 


not  still  older,  in  all   probability  are  contemporary 
with  the  earlier  part  of  the  sixth  century. 

These  met- 
opes are  made 
of  terra  cotta 
whose  surface 
w^as  evidently 
but  slightly 
prepared  for 
the  pai  nter's 
brush ;  only  a 
thin  wash  was 
used,  doubt- 
less of  fine 
clay,  similar 
in  quality  and 
color  to  that 
found  in  Co- 
rinthian' ware. 
The  painter 
employed  only 
three  colors,  —  black,  white,  and  red,  the  red  being 
of    three    values:    terra   cotta    or    light   orange,   an 

^  See  Corinthian  Tablets  in  Antike  Denkmaler,  Band  I,  Erstes  Heft, 
Tafeln  7,  8;  and  liand  II,  Zvveites  Heft,  Tafeln  23,  24;  Drittes  Heft, 
Tafeln  29,  30;  Vieites  Heft,  Tafeln  39,  .)0. 


Paixtku  Terra  Cotta  Metope,  Thermox  : 
The  Hunter  carrying  the  Spoils  of 
THE  Cha.se 


288 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


orange  red,  neutral,  of  middle  value,  and  a  violet 
red,  in  value  high  dark ;  the  whole  was  then  prob- 
ably subjected  to  a  firing-in  process. 


Painted  Terra  Cotta  Metope,  Thermon  :  Perseus  with 
THE  Gorgon's  Head 

The  subjects  of  these  metope  decorations  are  full 
of  interest,  particularly  the  two  here  reproduced, 
both  of  which  express  lively  action.  The  hunter 
walks  forward  carrying  in  his  right  hand  a  bow, 
while  with  his  left  he  upholds  a  pole  which  rests 


MURAL  PAINTING  289 

upon  his  shoulder  and  from  which  hang  the  spoils 
of  the  chase,  —  in  front  a  deer,  behind  a  wild  boar. 
His  little  round  eye  in  its  unforeshortened  socket 
is  keen  with  a  bright  expression  of  life. 

Perseus  outrivals  the  hunter  in  lively  movement, 
for  he  is  frying,  aUhough  his  winged  sandals  touch 
the  corners  of  the  metope  which  restrain  him  in 
obedience  to  the  artist's  will.  Under  his  arm  is  the 
Gorgon's  head,  its  cold,  unflinching  eyes  facing  the 
spectator  as  if  in  the  final  effort  to  compel  to  a 
stony  death  the  accidental   observer. 

As  examples  of  archaic  painting  on  terra  cotta 
these  metopes  are  of  exceptional  interest.^ 

Mural  Painting  in   Italy 

Since  so  few  remains  of  mural  painting  have  yet 
been  discovered  on  Greek  soil  to  tell  us  directly 
of  Greek  work,  it  is  to  Greco-Roman  paintings  in 
Italy  that  we  must  turn  to  discover,  with  compar- 
ative certainty,  technical  processes,  the  secrets  of 
color  applied  to  various  surfaces,  the  laws  of  com- 
position, and  the  principles  of  style,  all  from  i)aint- 
insfs  which  are  still  visible,  some  of  which  date  as 

1  See  article  by  Georgios  Soteriades  in  E^HMEPIS  APXATOAOriKII, 
published  in  Athens,  1903. 


290  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

early  as  five  liundred  3'ears  before  Christ,  The  most 
important  of  these  wall  paintings  are  to  be  found  in 
central  and  lower  Italy.  To  see  them  one  must  go 
to  Etruria  and  explore  the  quaint  old  towns  of  Veii, 
C^re,  Corneto,  Chiusi,  and  Orvieto,  or  he  must 
haunt  Rome  and  its  environs,  or  proceed  still  farther 
south  to  Pcestum,  Pompeii,  Herculaneum ;  and  he 
must  spend  many  hours  in  the  museums  of  Rome 
and  in  the  National  Museum  at  Naples. 

Etruscan  Wall  Paintings 

The  oldest  frescoes  are  in  the  tombs  of  Veii, 
Etruria,  and  date  not  later  than  five  hundred  years 
before  Christ  and  possibly  earlier.  They  are  archaic 
both  in  drawing  and  design,  with  few  colors, — brown, 
yellow,  and  red,  —  and  are  the  work  of  Etruscan 
hands.  On  terra  cotta  plaques  found  in  a  tomb  at 
Caere  the  style  is  quite  similar  to  Greek  painting 
preceding  Kimon  —  probably  earlier  than  500  B.C. 
The  subjects  relate  to  burial  rites,  worship  of  the 
dead,  sacrifices,  or  processions  of  mourners,  done  in 
very  crude,  archaic  manner,  —  the  figures  and  faces 
in  profile,  the  eyes  drawn  as  if  seen  in  front,  long 
and  narrow,  —  the  whole  forming  a  balanced  compo- 
sition in  flat  tones  without  any  attempt  at  relief. 


MURAL  PAINTING 


291 


At  Chiusi  the  Greek  spirit  is  less  evident  tlian  at 
Corneto.  About  three  miles  from  Corneto  is  Tar- 
quinia,  which  was  once  the  capital  of  ancient  Etruria, 
—  an  important  city,  furnishing  Rome  with  a  power- 
ful race  of  kings,  from  whom  came  laws  and  political 


1''ki:sco  in  Etruscan  Tomis,  showing  Position  t)N   Walls, 

Tarquinia 

ideas,  many  rites  of  religion,  ceremonial  customs, 
and  arts  of  civilization.  The  necropolis  of  Tarc|uinia 
extends  over  an  area  of  sixteen  square  miles  or  more, 
and  includes  many  thousand  tombs,  of  which  only 
a  few  have  been  excavated.      Of   these  some  have 


292 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


been  refilled  when  not  revealing  archceological  mat- 
ter worthy  of  being  retained,  but  others  have  yielded 
valuable  findings,  —  vases,  ornaments  of  gold  and 
bronze,  and  fresco  decorations  of  a  very  high  order. 
Such  tombs  belonged,  no  doubt,  to  people  of  high 
rank,  and  these  mural  paintings  tell  us  almost  all 
that  we  know  about  this  Etruscan  people,^  —  of  the 
same  original  stock  as  the  Greeks,  —  their  customs, 
character,  costume,  rites,  religion,  and  life. 

The  Grotta  del  Barone,  a  tomb  discovered  in  1827, 
is  about  sixteen  feet  square,  decorated  with  a  "broad 
tricolored  ribbon  of  yellow,  blue,  and  red";  below 
is  a  band  of  horsemen  in  various  attitudes,  mount- 
ing, riding,  and  leading  their  horses.  "  The  Etrus- 
cans used  colors  conventionally,  representing  things 
in  certain  relations  rather  than  according  to  nature, 
—  as,  for  instance,  in  the  picture  of  a  race,  blue  might 
be  the  color  used  to  mark  the  winning  horse," 

The  Grotta  delle  Bighe,  discovered  in  1827,  con- 
sists of  a  square  chamber  with  a  vaulted  roof,  having 
a  painted  beam  across  it,  and  diced  in  red,  white, 
blue,  and  black,  and  ornamented  with  a  wreath  of 
Bacchic  ivy. 

1  See  Cities  and  Cemeteries  of  Etruria,  by  George  Dennis,  London, 
1878.  For  color  reproductions  from  Tarquinian  tombs,  see  Antike  Denk- 
maler,  Band  11,  Viertes  Heft,  Tafeln  42,  43. 


MURAL   PAINTING 


293 


There  are  two  compartments,  an  upper  and  a  lower, 
in  which  are  represented  different  scenes.  In  the 
lower  part  are  dancing  figures,  clothed  in  short  gar- 
ments, leaving  the  limbs  free.  Others  are  dressed  in 
long  flowing  drapery  of  some  light  diaphanous  mate- 


mm 


Etkuscax   Fresco:   Horsi:.mi:x 

rial  bordered  with  stars.  They  have  ornamented  san- 
dals on  their  feet  and  chaplets  falling  over  the  hair. 
The  men  clap  their  hands,  beating  time  to  empha- 
size the  rhythm  of  movement.  Between  the  figures 
stands  a  tree  of  olive  or  mvrtle,  sacred  to  the  dead. 


!94 


THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


111  the  upper  composition  there  are  evident  prep- 
arations for  a  chariot  race.  Some  are  ah"eacly  start- 
ing, in  others  the  charioteer  is  in  various  stages  of 
preparation.  Beyond  is  the  stage  for  the  spectators, 
some  of  whom  are  clad  in  tunic  and  cloak,  others  in 
a  long  mantle. 

Another  wall  represents  a  funeral  banquet  with 
couches  upon  wliich  rest  a  man  and  a  woman  lean- 
ing on  cushions 
and  dressed  in  gar- 
ments with  elab- 
orate ornamenta- 
tion, which  indicate 
persons  of  rank. 
All  are  crowned 
w  i  t  h    w  r  e  a  t  h  s. 

BiGA  FROM  Chariot  Race  ^^^^^   ^^.^  ^i^^^^^  ^^ 

drink  from  goblets,  others  commence  the  feast  with 
eggs  according  to  the  Etruscan  custom.  A  flute 
player  and  two  attendants  are  near,  and,  to  add  a 
touch  of  realism  to  the  scene,  five  ducks  are  waiting 
below  the  table  for  the  crumbs.  Still  another  wall 
shows  a  picture  of  active  life  in  a  representation  of 
gymnastic  sports,  boxing,  quoit  throwing,  hurling 
the  lance.     These  figures  are  full  of  movement,  in 


MURAL    I'AINriXCr 


295 


various  attitudes,  and  sliow  a  surprising  knowledge 
of  form.  In  the  ])ainting  of  tliese  wall  surfaces  the 
artists  worked  upon  a  ground  of  prepared  plaster,  or 
some  such  material,  which  was  spread  over  the  soft 
rock.  On  this  they  scraped  the  outline.  \Miere  the 
color  has  almost  or 
nearlv  faded  from 
the  wall  the  out- 
line is  still  visible, 
showing  the  hand- 
stroke  of  the  an- 
cient draughtsman 
as  he  sketched  iii 
his  idea. 

The  various 
tombs  of  Taiquinia 
show  a  great  differ- 
ence in  their  style 
and  workmanshi]),  marking  an  advance  from  cru- 
dity to  freedom,  in  which  (Treek  influence  is  most 
api^arent.  The  use  of  color  becomes  freer:  the  lips 
are  sometimes  red  and  a  tint  is  added  to  the 
cheek.  Occasional! \-  a  single  figure  stands  out  as 
an  exquisite  bit  of  life  in  which  grace  of  line  and 
delicacy  of  touch  reveal  the  hand  of  a  true  masUi\ 


Till-:    Faiu:\\i:i.l    of    Au.\rKTo.s    ano 

AkKKSTIS,     I'/l-Rl'SCAN    \"ASE,    VUI.CI 


296 


THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


as,  for  instance,  in  tlic  Grotta  del  Citaredo,  in  which 
is  a  singularly  beautiful  figure  of  a  flute  player, 
whose  dainty  movements  are  shown  with  a  skill  that 
compares  favorably  with  the  work  of  a  fifteenth- 
century  painter. 

In  the  Grotta  del  Tifone  is  an  interesting  funeral 
scene,  —  a  procession  of  the  dead,  "conducted   by 

genii  to  their 
final  abode.  The 
band  is  preceded 
by  a  good  genius, 
as  may  be  seen 
from  the  serpents 
of  eternity  which 
are  twined  about 
his  head.  He 
bears  a  lighted  torch.  He  is  followed  by  a  number 
of  souls  and  among  them  two  distinguished  for  un- 
common beauty.  Other  figures  follow,  —  a  hand- 
some, noble  youth  followed  by  a  hideous  demon,  a 
maiden  of  surpassing  loveliness,  in  whose  brow  and 
eye  is  the  most  intense  anguish.  .  .  .  An  infernal 
genius  followed  her  also.  These  figures  suggested 
such  strong  personality  that  they  must  have  been 
portraits." 


BiGA    BEARIXf;    A    SOUL    TO    ElysIUM, 
TOMBA   GOLIXI,    OrVIETO 


MURAL  PAINTING  297 

The  Grotta  della  Querciola  was  excavated  in  1832. 
"  This  tomb  is  more  splendid  than  any  yet  mentioned. 
It  is  about  twenty  feet  square.  Nothing  can  exceed 
the  elegance  of  the  forms,  the  richness  of  the  dress, 
and  the  beauty  of  the  ornaments.  The  principal 
subjects  are  dancing  scenes  and  a  magnificent  ban- 
quet group  with  festal  tables,  luxurious  couches, 
and  sumptuously  attired  guests.  Unfortunately  it  is 
much  less  well  preserved  than  any  of  the  others, 
which  is  extremely  to  be  regretted,  as  from  its  size, 
the  variety  of  its  subjects,  and  the  beauty  of  its  exe- 
cution, it  is  even  more  valuable  and  curious  than 
the  rest."  A  copy  of  this  tomb  is  in  the  Gregorian 
Museum,  Rome. 

The  Grotta  del  Triclinio  is  decorated  with  feast- 
ing scenes  of  the  most  gorgeous  character,  showing 
"  Etruscan  magnificence  in  dress,  furniture,  and  all 
the  accessories  of  sumptuous  living."  I  quote  from 
the  notes  of  an  Englishwoman,^  who  saw  the  tomb 
not  long  after  it  was  opened,  while  the  colors  were 
still  fresh  upon  its  walls.  "  The  picture  of  the  mid- 
dle wall  represents  three  couches,  each  containing  a 
man  and  a  woman.  In  front  of  two  of  these  are 
tables  covered  witli  vases,  and  in  front  of  a  third  is  a 

^  See  Journey  to  the  Sepulclue.s  of  Etruria,  by  I-iicly  Hamilton  Gray. 


298 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


large  vessel  out  of  which  wine  is  poured  into  smaller 
vessels  to  be  handed  around  to  the  guests  by  a 
young  slave.  An  attendant  richly  dressed  is  play- 
ing on  the  double  flute,  while  the  guests  are  turning 
towards  each  other  in   various  attitudes  and  with 


¥ 


•  ^ 


1   ao  ^^    0*^  ^ 


^i^L 


Feasting  Scene,  Grotta  del  Tkklixio,  Tarquinia 

lively  gestures,  and  seem  much  more  occupied  with 
the  pleasures  of  society  than  with  those  of  the 
table.  The  parti-colored  coverings  of  the  tables  and 
couches  are  very  beautiful,  as  well  as  the  splendid 
festal  dresses  of  the  guests  with  their  crowns  of 
ivy   and   olive,   their   rich    necklaces   and  bracelets. 


MURAI.    I'AIXriNG 


299 


Ointments  and  perfumes  also,  so  essential  to  the 
luxurious  habits  of  the  ancients,  are  not  wanting 
to  this  banquet. 

"  The  feast  is  already  begun,  for  one  of  the  women 
is  in  the  act  of  breaking  an  egg  and  one  of  the  men 
is  receiving  a  cup  of  wine.  The  clatter  of  the  dishes 
and  the  smell  of  the  meats  have  attracted  to  the 


Dancixg  Figurks,  Cirotta  dki.  Triclixio,  Tarquixia 

feast  a  tame  leopard,  a  partridge,  and  a  cock,  which 
are  assiduously  picking  up  the  crumbs  of  good 
things.  Above  the  couches  hang  crowns  or  chap- 
lets  with  which  the  guests  at  the  end  of  the  enter- 
tainment used  to  adorn  themselves.  .  .  .  The 
funeral  banquet  being  concluded,  the  dance  com- 
mences. It  consists  of  eight  persons,  and  the  musi- 
cians are  two,  a  player  on  the  lyre  and  a  player 
on  the  double  flute,  who  dance  as  they  play.    The 


300  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

chief  dancer  moves  her  hands  as  if  she  had  casta- 
nets, while  the  last  holds  a  wreath  of  ivy  with  which 
most  of  them  are  crowned. 

"  The  dresses  of  the  dancers  are  of  the  most 
splendid  material,  embroidered  with  minute  stars 
and  adorned  with  many  colored  garnitures ;  their 
necks  are  ornamented  with  costly  chains,  their  ears 
Avith  pendants,  and  their  arms  with  bracelets.  The 
youths  are  separated  from  the  dancing  girls  by 
olive  and  myrtle  trees  covered  with  chaplets,  in  the 
branches  of  which  are  perched  various  birds ;  hares, 
wolves,  deer,  and  other  animals  are  jumping  up  to 
the  stems  or  gamboling  below  in  evident  enjoyment 
of  the  feast.  The  vase  placed  upon  the  ground  is 
filled  with  wine  to  be  drunk  by  the  dancers  in  honor 
of  Bacchus.  Paintings  like  these  in  all  probability 
date  not  later  than  the  fourth  century  before  Christ. 

"  In  this  grotto  when  first  opened  stood  a  large 
handsome  sarcophagus  in  travertine.  The  effigy 
upon  the  lid  represented  as  usual  a  man  very  richly 
dressed,  wearing  all  sorts  of  ornaments ;  he  held  a 
libation  cup  in  his  hand  toward  which  a  greyhound 
leaped." 

One  of  the  tombs  opened  in  1857  consists  of 
seven    different    chambers    decorated    in    a  most 


MURAL  PAINTINC; 


;oi 


graphic     style    witli     siil^jccts     taken    from     Greek 
mythology.     Etruscan  inscriptions   upon  the   walls 


Alaiiasti:k  1'olvc  iircj.mi;  SARCoi'iiAf.u.s,  Roval  Arc  ii.ko- 
LOGiCAL  Museum,  Florence 

place  the  names  of  Agamemnon  and  Achilles 
beside  one  scene,  which  represents  the  sacrifice 
of    Achilles  for  his  friend    Patroklos  before   Troy. 


O'' 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Opposite  is  a  realistic  representation  of  a  human 
sacrifice  such  as  was  often  made  at  a  funeral  cere- 
mony by  the  ancient  Etruscans.  Both  groups  are 
ahiiost  as  painfully  realistic  as  pictures  by  the  four- 
teenth-century painters,  who  took  an  apparent  de- 
light in  depicting  such   scenes  of  horror. 

The  Tomba  dell'  Oreo  is  perhaps  of  all  the  most 
advanced  in    style,  showing  skillful  foreshortening 

and  free  b  r  u  s  h 
handling  of  a 
superior  quality. 

The  banquet 
scene  in  one 
chamber  repre- 
sents a  scene  from 
the  underworld, 
in  which  Hades 
(Pluto)  and  Per- 
sephone figure.  Another  shows  Odysseus  and  the 
Cyclop  Polyphemos.  These  are  among  the  best 
examples  of  Etruscan  wall  painting  and  date  prob- 
ably as  late  as  the  time  of  Apelles.  The  freedom 
of  execution  is  admirable,  the  style  spirited,  the 
drawing  careful,  the  whole  showing  keen  technical 
knowledge  and  artistic  feeling  of  a  high  order. 


Hades  and  Persephoxe  in  the  Uxder 
WORLD,  Grotta  dell'  Orco,  Corneto 


MURAL  PAINTING 


303 


From  these  mural  paintings  of  Etruscan  work- 
manship we  have  an  ahiiost  continuous  history 
of  wall  painting 
from  its  earlier 
archaic  period  to 
that  really  noble 
achievement 
which  marked  its 
highest  point  of 
development;  this 

makes  us  the  more    ^^^''"  Velchas  and  his  Wife  in  Elv- 

siu.M,  Grotta  dell'  Orco,  Corneto 

keenly   realize 

the  irreparable  loss  of  that  mural   work  in   Greece 

which  poets  and  liistorians  praise   with  such  keen 

enthusiasm. 


Roman  Wall  Paintings 

In  Rome  and  its  immediate  environs  the  number 
of  wall  paintings  excavated  since  the  beginning  of 
the  sixteenth  century  is  very  large.  These  paintings 
have  been  found  in  tombs,  villas,  palaces,  and  baths, 
and  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  very  many  of  them 
have  perished  upon  exposure  to  air  and  light,  we 
should  have  all  tliat  could  be  desired  in  the  way 
of  material  of  most  varied  tv])e  and  character  with 


304  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

which  to  ilhistrate  mural  painting  during  the  later 
period  of  antiquity. 

We  may  be  sure  of  this,  however,  —  that  as  mural 
painting  was  considered  an  important  addition  to 
every  architectural  scheme,  the  number  of  such 
decorations  was  very  large ;  that  the  range  of  sub- 
ject was  unlimited;  that  Greek  ideas  and  invention 
formed  the  basis  of  all  such  work ;  that  some  of  the 
decorations,  possibly  many  of  them,  were  done  by 
Greek  artisans  or  decorators ;  that  even  if  they  were 
done  by  Roman  workmen,  many  are  undoubtedly 
copies  of  well-known  Greek  paintings ;  and  that 
none  of  them  show  Greek  mural  painting  in  its 
purity.  Roman  w^all  paintings,  unlike  those  found 
in  Etruria,  belong  to  one  period,  —  the  last  days  of 
the  Republic  and  the  early  Empire.  Their  subjects 
are  varied,  sometimes  full  of  charm,  with  a  vivacity 
and  delicacy  of  touch  that  are  often  surprising. 

Vitruvius,  who  lived  in  the  time  of  Augustus, 
wrote  a  short  sketch  of  mural  decoration  from  the 
time  of  Alexander  down  to  his  own  dav.  He  con- 
trasts  the  better  ancient  style  with  that  of  later 
decorators  much  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  latter. 
These  changes  can  be  easily  followed  by  studying 
extant    examples,    in    which    one    notes    the    more 


I 


MURAL   PAINTING  305 

sober,  serious,  largely  conceived  pictorial  work,  in 
contrast  to  a  fantastic  spirit  that  at  first  charms  the 
eye  but  later  wearies  one  with  its  involved,  gro- 
tesque, over-elaborated  devices. 

This  fanciful  style  in  its  best  period  formed  the 
scheme  of  decoration  on  the  walls  of  the  Golden 
House  of  Nero,  beneath  the  Baths  of  Titus.  Raphael 
saw  and  copied  these  dainty  forms  of  design  and 
used  them  in  his  decorations  for  the  loggie  of  the 
Vatican.  The  earlier  or  severe  style  is  exemplified 
in  the  Odyssey  series  of  which  we  shall  speak  later. 

Most  of  these  wall  paintings  now  to  be  seen 
were  excavated  during  the  last  century,  a  few  still 
earlier.  Some  have  been  left  upon  the  walls  where 
they  were  found;  others,  with  the  plaster  upon  which 
they  were  painted,  have  been  removed  to  museums. 
Many  unfortunately  have  been  lost  either  through 
exposure  to  light  and  air  or  upon  removal. 

Among  public  buildings  of  Rome,  the  baths  have 
furnished  the  greatest  number  of  mural  decorations, 
—  the  Baths  of  Titus  especially.  Large  and  small 
paintings  have  been  found  there  representing  scenes 
of  Greek  mythology  as  well  as  the  many  small  or 
important  events  of  daily  life,  —  scenes  of  the  vint- 
age, harvesting,  sacrifices,  and   even  ordinary  daily 


306  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

occupations.  One  of  the  largest  paintings  comes 
from  the  Baths  of  Trajan ;  this  belongs  to  that 
earlier  period  of  which  Vitruvius  approves,  and  by 
its  largeness  of  style  and  vigor  of  treatment  sug- 
gests a  "late  period  of  the  Italian  Renaissance,  a 
sixteenth  century  fresco." 

In  the  Lateran,  Rome,  are  a  series  removed  from 
Ostia,  showing  pictures  of  the  underworld,  with 
Orpheus,  Eurydike,  Hades,  and  Persephone  grouped 
in  symmetrical  design.  Still  more  interesting  are 
those  in  the  Rospigliosi  Palace,  which  came  from 
the  Baths  of  Constantine.  In  the  Villa  Albani  is 
an  idyllic  landscape  found  on  the  Via  Appia. 

But  the  most  interesting  are  in  the  halls  of  the 
Vatican  gallery.  Here  are  heroes,  gods,  and  god- 
desses famed  in  mythology.  The  most  important  of 
all  is  the  well-known  Aldobrandini  Marriage,  dis- 
covered in  1600,  and  so  called  from  the  name  of  its 
first  owner.  Cardinal  Aldobrandini.  This  is  called 
"one  of  the  finest  pictures  of  antiquity."  It  is  taste- 
fully composed,  with  much  beauty  of  line  and  color. 
It  is  a  long,  panel-shaped  picture  containing  ten 
figures.  These  are  separated  into  three  groups,  of 
which  the  bride,  the  bride's  attendant,  and  the 
bridegroom    form    the    center    of    interest.     These 


MURAL  PAINTING 


307 


figures  are  seated  or 
recline  against  a  coiicli 
covered  with  drapery. 
On  either  side  are 
groups  of  figures  stand- 
ing, one  preparing  the 
bath,  the  other  perform- 
ing some  sacrificial  rite 
to  the  sound  of  music. 
The  stately  woman 
holding  the  lyre  is  full 
of  grace ;  her  attitude, 
half  turned  from  the 
spectator,  with  arm  up- 
raised, is  the  embodi- 
ment of  rhythmic  poise. 
She  is  balanced  at  the 
opposite  end  by  a  digni- 
fied veiled  figure  with 
arm  extended  to  the 
basin  of  water.  A  nota- 
ble fact  in  this  compo- 
sition relates  to  the  size 
of  the  figures  and  theii' 
grouping.     The   bride 


X, 


2C 
< 


< 


3o8  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

and  her  attendant  suggest  by  their  attitudes  two  of 
the  figures  from  the  east  pediment  of  the  Parthenon, 
and  they  possess  the  same  characteristic  that  we 
find  in  them  and  in  the  seated  figures  in  the  Par- 
thenon frieze,  —  that  of  sitting  high  and  thus  bring- 
ing the  level  of  the  heads  but  a  short  distance  below 
that  of  the  standing  figures.  By  this  means  the  line 
of  horizontal  composition  is  agreeably  broken  with- 
out presenting  too  great  irregularity  for  the  Greek 
idea  of  harmony.  The  picture  is  a  dignified  compo- 
sition, and  although  the  execution  is  technically 
inferior,  its  design  has  qualities  that  suggest  the 
hand  of  a  master,  and  quite  probably  it  is  the  copy 
of  some  famous  Greek  work.^ 

In  the  Vatican  Library  are  the  w^ll-known  Odys- 
sey landscapes  already  referred  to,  which  were  discov- 
ered in  1 848- 1 850,  on  the  Esquiline,  Rome.  These 
are  six  pictures  in  fair  state  of  preservation,  and  parts 
of  two  others  which  unfortunately  are  badly  marred. 
They  represent  the  wanderings  of  Odysseus."  Greek 
inscriptions  explain  the  various  figures. 

These  paintings  once  formed  a  scheme  of  decora- 
tion around  the  lower  parts  of  a  room,  the  various 

1  See  Bottiger,  Die  Aldobrandinische  Hochzeit,  Dresden,  1810. 

2  Odyssey,  X,  80,  to  XI,  600. 


Oitvs.sicv  Landscai'IC  Scicnks 

309 


3IO  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

scenes  separated  by  bright  red  pilasters,  which  in 
contrast  to  the  predominating  colors  of  the  land- 
scape—  blues,  greens,  and  yellow-browns  —  make 
a  well-balanced  scheme  of  color  decoration.  The 
landscapes  are  not,  however,  separate  compositions. 
The  main  lines  form  a  connecting  sequence  from 
panel  to  panel,  thus  giving  a  pleasing  feeling  of 
unity  to  the  whole. 

As  examples  of  landscape  they  have  a  peculiar 
interest  for  us,  for,  although  severely  conventional 
in  treatment  and  broadly  decorative  in  style,  they 
yet  suggest  a  variety  of  effects  in  nature  —  yellow 
rocky  crags,  the  blue  sea,  dark  somber  mountains, 
the  court  of  Kirke's  palace,  the  gloomy  entrance 
to  the  underworld  —  which  stand  alone  as  unique 
representations  of  landscape.  They  give  us  an 
excellent  idea  of  the  style  of  that  early  period 
which  probably  was  more  nearly  akin  to  the  true 
Greek  spirit  of  the  time  of  Polygnotos  ^  than  any- 
thing extant.  It  is  of  this  style  of  work  that 
Vitruvius  wrote  so  approvingly. 

In  addition  to  the  collections  which  museums 
offer,  there  are  many  mural  paintings  in  Rome 
still  in  position  On   the  walls  of  tombs,  villas,  and 

1  For  illustration  see  page  115. 


MURAL  PAINTING  ^.  1 1 


subterranean  chambers.  On  Via  Latina  is  a  tomb 
with  landscape  panels,  small  but  delicately  beautiful, 
dating  back  to  the  Antonines. 

To  a  little  later  period,  probably,  belong  the 
small  decorations  found  in  the  columbarium  of  Villa 
Pamphili,  discovered  in  1838,  whose  subjects  in- 
clude mythology,  ceremonies,  daily  occupations,  and 
landscape,  sketched  in  with  great  freedom  upon  a 
white  ground  as  if  tlie  craftsman  were  quite  sure  of 
his  facile,  ready  technique. 

A  short  distance  beyond  Porta  del  Popolo,  Rome, 
are  the  ruins  of  the  Villa  of  Livia,  where  was 
found  the  statue  of  Augustus,  now  in  the  Vatican, 
—  a  statue  which,  by  the  way,  is  the  best  one  extant 
of  the  emperor  and  bears  distinct  traces  of  color 
upon  it. 

This  villa,  excavated  in  1863,  I'eveals  a  most 
delightful  scheme  of  mural  painting,  perhaps  the 
best  example  of  its  kind  to  be  found  an)- where. 
The  scene  represents  a  luxuriant  garden,  in  tlie 
midst  of  which  the  spectator  stands  surrounded  by 
a  wealth  of  bloom.  Grass  and  tiny  herbs  spring 
from  the  ground  in  varying  notes  of  neutral  gray- 
srreens;  brigchtlv  tinted  flowers  bloom  in  summer 
luxuriance ;   pines,  oaks,  and  groves   of   palms  and 


Mural   Paintixc;,  Villa  of  Li\la,  Rome 


31: 


MURAL  PAINTING 


fruit  trees  mark  with  their  slender  trunks  agreeable 
divisions  of  space,  broken  by  blossoming  thickets, 
clambering  roses,  and  gayly  hued  birds   which  fly 


Mural  Painting,  Villa  of  Livia,  Rome 

hither  and  thither  in  every  direction,  filling  the  air 
with  life  and  movement  and  adding  bright  spots  of 
color  to  the  more  somber  notes  of  the  background. 
The  handiwork  of  this  charming  scheme  of  deco- 
ration is  careful,  realistic,  and  at  the  same  tinie 
decorative.  Some  writers  tliink  that  this  may  pos- 
sibly   be    the  work    of    the    })ainter    JAidius,   whom 


314  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Pliny  speaks  of  as  the  originator  of  this  style  of 
mural  decoration.  At  the  time  that  he  lived  this 
charming  villa  was  the  property  of  the  imperial 
family.  Although  this  is  merely  conjecture,  it  is 
peculiarly  agreeable  conjecture,  as  it  thus  gives  to 
a  name  handed  down  to  us  by  ancient  writers  a 
visible  proof  of  a  decorator's  excellent  achievement. 

In  Rome  itself  the  House  of  Livia  is  of  special 
significance.  Situated  on  the  Palatine  Hill,  which 
was  the  center  of  the  imperial  city  as  it  had  been 
formerly  the  ancient  city  of  kings  and  pre- Roman 
heroes,  and  was  later  the  home  of  Catiline  and 
Cicero  during  the  republican  period,  this  house, 
the  only  one  of  its  kind  in  the  midst  of  the  palaces 
of  the  emperors,  was  the  dwelling  of  Livia, — 
mother  of  Tiberius  Claudius  Nero,  —  to  which  she 
retired  during  her  later  life.  The  mural  paintings 
which  can  still  be  seen  here  are  as  fine  as  any  now 
extant  in  Rome. 

In  the  largest  room  are  two  mythological  sub- 
jects, of  which  one  is  "  lo,  jealously  guarded  by  the 
hundred-eyed  Argos,  is  set  free  by  Hermes,"  a  pic- 
ture once  painted  by  Nikias,  a  Greek  painter  in  the 
time  of  Alexander,^  of  whose  work  possibly  this  may 

1  For  illustration  see  page  128. 


MURAL   PAINTING 


15 


be  a  copy.  The  other  is  in  its  treatment  as  well  as  in 
its  subject  also  Greek, —  the  story  of  Polyphemos  and 
the  beautiful  sea  nymph  Galateia.  It  is  most  effective 
in  style.    Against  the  classical  landscape  of  sea  and 


To  SET  FREE  iiv   Hek.mes,   House  OF  LiVIA,   RoMi-: 

rocky  cliff  stand  out  the  giant,  breast  high  in  water, 
and  Galateia  riding  tauntingly  away  on  her  sea 
horse. 

Another  room  is  decorated  with  festive  garlands 
of  flowers  and  fruit,  from  which  hang  masks  and 
other  articles  of  revelry.     On  the  left  is  still  another 


3l6  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

room,  divided  into  brown  panels  edged  with  red 
and  green.  Light  arabesques  fill  the  spaces  between 
floating  winged  figures  on  a  white  ground.  The 
triclinium,  or  dining  room,  is  an  oblong,  rectangu- 
lar room,  whose  walls  are  painted  bright  red.  There 
are  two  large  central  panels  representing  landscapes, 
and  vases  with  fruits  fill  the  wall  above.  Other 
scenes  show  a  Roman  street  with  its  tall  houses 
and  varied  population  in  many  attitudes  on  bal- 
cony and  roof  top.  In  still  another  room  is  a  land- 
scape frieze  and  a  lively,  realistic  street  scene  from 
some  ancient  town,  —  just  such  a  picture  as  one 
might  expect  to  see  in  a  modern  exhibition. 

Recent  excavations  on  the  Palatine  in  the  gar- 
dens of  the  Farnesina  Palace  have  brought  to  light 
other  decorations,  —  landscapes  with  figures,  gods 
and  heroes,  charming  young  girls  playing  on  the 
lyre  or  taking  part  in  festival  scenes. 

These  Roman  wall  paintings  do  not  reach  a  very 
high  plane  either  of  subject  or  of  execution.  They 
are  simple  in  design  and  often  painted  with  a  slight 
and  sketchy  touch,  which  indicate  that  they  are  the 
work  of  clever  decorators, —  skillful  craftsmen  rather 
than  masters  of  art.  But  they  are  often  dainty  and 
full  of  a  subtle  charm,  and  admirably  adapted  to  the 


MURAL    I'AlNTIiNCi  317 

wall  spaces  upon  which  they  are  placed,  proving 
that  the  decorative  scheme  was  the  first  thought  of 
the  painter.  In  composition  they  are  well  balanced, 
the  figures,  carefully  distributed  in  the  given  spaces, 
showing  variety  of  pose  and  movement  and  often 
most  harmonious  color  schemes.  We  are  fortunate 
in  having  several  particularly  fine  examples,  like 
those  of  the  Odyssey  series,  the  Aldobrandini  Mar- 
riage and  the  decorations  on  the  walls  of  both  the 
Villa  and  House  of  Livia  furnishing  an  all-important 
link  between  the  past  and  the  present. 

Wall  Paintings  in  Southern  Italy 

Lower  Italy  is  especially  fruitful  in  mural  paint- 
ings, many  without  doubt  having  been  painted  by 
Greek  decorators,  for  here  were  preserved  iii  almost 
native  completeness  the  Greek  language,  customs, 
art,  religion,  and  life.  Painting,  however,  has  suffered 
more  than  sculpture  or  architecture  from  time's 
decay,  from  volcano,  fire,  and  earthquake,  and  only 
scanty  remains,  in  comparison  to  the  original  cpian- 
tity,  as  yet  have  been  discovered. 

Passtum  yields  scarcely  anything  in  the  way 
of  painting,  —  its  glorious  temples  atone  for  all 
losses, —  but  the  Cannxmian  cities  of  1  lerculaneum 


3l8  THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

and  Pompeii  fortunately  supply  us  with  valuable 
frescoes.  Many  of  these  have  been  taken  to  the 
National  Museum  of  Naples,  which  is  the  richest 
storehouse  in  the  world  for  those  who  are  interested 
in  the  study  of  mural  paintings. 

The  wall  surface  of  a  Pompeian  house  was  divided 
into  panels  upon  which  was  painted  a  ground  surface 
color.  Red  was  most  frequently  used,  but  sometimes 
black,  yellow,  even  blue  and  green,  and,  more  rarely, 
a  tone  just  off  the  white,  filled  the  space.  The  cen- 
ter of  each  panel  was  the  point  of  interest  for  the 
painter's  play  of  fancy.  Frequently  only  a  single 
figure  was  used,  —  perhaps  a  young  girl  in  airy, 
flowing  draperies  of  gauz)-  material,  who  played  upon 
a  musical  instrument ;  or  again,  a  group  represent- 
ing some  mythological  subject,  like  the  panels  of 
Medea  meditating  the  murder  of  her  children,  or 
Herakles  in  some  one  of  his  feats  of  strength,  —  all 
of  which  one  can  see  in  the  Naples  Museum. 

The  legend  of  Theseus,  the  various  adventures 
of  Odysseus,  Iphigeneia  borne  off  to  sacrifice,  were 
favorite  subjects  which  furnished  the  painter  with 
dramatic  themes.  These  and  many  others  in  excel- 
lent state  of  preservation  have  been  removed  from 
the  w^alls  of   Pompeian  houses  to  the  museum   in 


3- 

o 

Oh 


o 
o 


o 

75 


o 
o 


319 


320 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Naples.  They  were  painted  upon  the  wet  plaster, 
and  thus  when  dry  became  an  integral  part  of  the 
surface.  This  accounts  for  their  extraordinary  pres- 
ervation.    Time  and  burial  seem  to  have   affected 


Theseus  axu  th]':  AIixotal'r 


them  but  little,  although  they  fade  somewhat  upon 
exposure  to  light  and  air. 

A   rare    and    beautiful    example    of    painting   on 
marble  can  be  seen  in  one  of  the  corridors  of  the 


MURAL   TAINTING 


,21 


museum,  representing  the  daughters  of  Niobe  play- 
ing the  game  of  knucklebones.  This  series  of  five 
pictures  was  painted  by  Alexander  of  Athens  and 
is  one  of  the  very  few  signed  paintings  of  antiquity. 
Pliny  says  that  the 
art  of  painting  in 
outline  was  a  lost 
art  when  he  lived. 
Of  special  inter- 
est are  those  scenes 
which  tell  of  the 
private  life  of  the 
people,  showing  us 
how  the  Romans 
lived,  their  customs, 
amusements,  and 
sports.  Some  of 
these  paintings  are 
no  doubt  portraits 
and  all  give  characteristic  types  of  countenance  and 
style  of  dress  of  the  time  when  the  city  met  its  final 
doom.  Such,  for  instance,  is  the  Roman  feast,  one  of 
the  later  acquisitions  from  Pompeii,  in  which  a  grace- 
ful young  girl  dances  before  the  guests,  the  master 
of  the  feast  marking  time  by  the  clapping  of  his  hands. 


Daughters  of  Niobe  plavixc 

Knucklebones,  Naples  Museum 

Painting  on  Marble 


322 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


In  the  Naples  Museum  are  also  preserved  a  series 
of  pictures  from  Paestum.  These  record  simple  sub- 
jects in  bright  colors  painted  on  a  white  ground,  — 
warriors  returning  home,  greeted  by  women  who 
minister  to  their  comfort.  Above  the  frieze  are  bor- 
ders of  Greek  frets,  rosettes,  and  wave-pattern  de- 
signs.   "  That  this  is  Greek  art,  although  it  cannot 


^^^^^^^^^3 


^^^^^^^^^S 


Wall  Paixtix(;,   P^stu.m  :  Warriors  returninc;  Homl 

be  proved,  seems  probable.  Paestum  lost  its  inde- 
pendence as  an  Hellenic  community  when  the  Luca- 
nians  conquered  it  in  the  fourth  century  before 
Christ.  The  costumes,  therefore,  are  Lucanian  and 
not  Greek ;  the  profiles  are  not  pure,  or  at  least  not 
ideal  Greek,  but  show  something  of  national  indi- 
viduality.    Yet  the  style  of  these  paintings,  which 


MURAL  PAINTING  323 

stands  on  the  threshold  of  complete  freedom,  may  on 
the  whole  be  pronounced  more  strictly  Greek  than 
that  of  any  other  existing  wall  paintings."  They 
recall  somewhat  the  Etruscan  frieze  from  Grotta  del 
Barone  in  Tarquinia. 

Of  the  Campanian  cities  of  Stabia.',  Herculaneum, 
and  Pompeii,  the  latter  place  alone  yields  a  wealth  of 
mural  paintings.  Twenty-five  years  ago  Dr.  Hclbig, 
a  German  archaeologist,  estimated  the  number  of 
frescoes  then  excavated  at  two  thousand.  Since  that 
time  some  of  the  finest  have  been  discovered,  mak- 
ing the  total  a  much  larger  number. 

Pompeii 

Pompeii  was  conquered  by  the  Romans  in  290  b.c, 
and  although  the  scene  of  many  wars,  it  remained  a 
Roman  city  until  the  time  of  its  destruction,  a.d.  79. 
In  A.I).  63  the  city  was  partially  destroyed  by  an  earth- 
quake, so  that  much  of  it  had  to  be  rebuilt,  and 
therefore  we  can  with  certainty  date  manv  of  its  wall 
paintings  as  belonging  to  that  intermediate  period. 

At  the  eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius  the  volcano 
threw  out  a  stream  of  liquid  mud,  which  ran  down  its 
slopes  and  covered  Herculaneum  with  a  warm  soft 
paste  which   later  hardened   to  the  consistency  of 


324  'i'HE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

stone.  On  account  of  the  difficulty  and  expense, 
little  has  been  done  during  the  last  century  in  the 
way  of  excavation. 

Pompeii,  on  the  other  hand,  was  overw^helmed 
with  a  shower  of  ashes  and  fine  dust,  which  buried 
the  city.  Many  of  the  dwellings  received  but  slight 
injury,  save  where  intense  heat  cracked  wall  sur- 
faces or  consumed  indurable  material.  Excavations 
in  modern  times  have  revealed  houses  just  as  they 
were  at  the  moment  of  disaster,  —  the  loaves  in  the 
baker's  oven,  the  household  utensils  in  place.  We 
have,  therefore,  a  Roman  city  preserved  to  our  own 
day  precisely  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Vespasian.  To 
Pompeii  we  must  go  to  see  mural  painting  in  situ. 

"  These  wall  decorations  in  Pompeii  lend  it  a  pecul- 
iar charm.  Marble  is  seldom  met  with  in  private 
dwellings,  and  even  in  public  buildings  it  w^as  not 
employed  before  the  imperial  epoch.  The  columns 
are  usually  constructed  of  tufa  or  bricks,  covered, 
like  the  walls,  with  stucco,  painted  with  bright, 
almost  gaudy  colors,  chiefiy  red  and  yellow.  The 
lower  halves  of  the  columns  are  generally  red  or  yel- 
low, the  capitals  tastefully  painted.  Ancient  Pom- 
peii must  have  been  a  singularly  brightly  painted 
town  and  unusually  rich  in  pictorial  decorations." 


< 


O 
< 


A 


325 


326  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

According  to  Man,  there  are  four  distinct  styles 
to  be  found  in  Pompeian  wall  painting.  The  first 
he  calls  the  pre- Roman  period,  in  which  the  style 
is  an  imitation  of  marble,  paneled  in  plastic  stucco, 
without  pictures.  The  second,  the  period  of  the 
Republic,  is  still  an  imitation  of  marble  incrusta- 
tion, in  this  case  painted,  as  are  also  the  architec- 
tural members,  as  they  might  reasonably  appear, 
showing  effects  of  light  and  shade  as  if  there  were 
projections  or  depressions  from  the  ordinary  plane. 
The  third  he  designates  as  the  period  of  the  Early 
Empire,  to  about  fifty  years  after  Christ.  This  is  an 
ornamental  style,  employing  chaste  and  pure  forms, 
and  noted  for  its  finely  related  colors.  The  fourth 
belongs  to  the  last  period  of  Pompeii  and  is  found 
abundantly  represented.  Its  characteristics  are  elab- 
orately fanciful  architectural  representation,  with  deli- 
cate, playful  richness  of  ornamentation  frequently 
carried  to  excess. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  little  is  known  of 
the  earlier  primitive  expressions  of  mural  painting, 
for,  according  to  existing  remains,  we  can  go  back 
only  to  the  second  century  before  Christ.  Without 
doubt  the  impulse  to  mural  painting  came  originally 
from  contact  with  Greece  and  the  Orient,  and  we 


SlCCONU,    OK    AkCIUTKCTUKAI,    STVI.K,    i'o.MI'KII 


327 


328  THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

perceive  all  through  its  development  Greek  tradition 
and  feeling. 

Of  the  earlier  pre- Roman  period  an  excellent 
example  may  be  found  in  the  House  of  Sallust,  in 
which  the  dividing  up  of  wall  spaces  into  larger  and 
smaller  panels  agreeably  related  produces  a  pleasing 
impression.  The  second,  or  Incrustation  Style, doubt- 
less was  originally  worked  out  in  actual  marble.  Its 
origin  probably  goes  back  to  some  important  center 
of  wealth, —  Mau  suggests  Alexandria, — from  which 
it  spread  to  other  places.  Thus  when  marble  could 
not  be  procured  the  next  natural  step  was  to  supply 
the  need  by  imitation  in  colored  fresco. 

Similar  remains  to  those  found  at  Pompeii,  and 
dating  about  the  second  century  before  Christ,  have 
been  found  at  Pergamon,  on  the  island  of  Delos,  and 
more  recently  in  Priene.  They  may  thus  represent 
the  wall  decoration  of  the  Hellenistic  age.  Pompeii 
has  few  important  examples  of  this  style ;  the  richer 
and  more  elaborate  are  found  in  Rome.  Those  in  the 
House  of  Livia  on  the  Palatine,  already  described, 
belong  to  this  time. 

It  is  during  this  second  period  that  wall  paint- 
ings begin  to  assume  a  place  of  prominence  in 
the  decorative  scheme.    The  upper  wall  frequently 


MURAL  PAINTING 


329 


represents  an  open  space,  —  often  painted  blue  as  if 
to  suggest  the  sky,  —  while  the  middle  portion  with 
its  boundaries  of  architectural  framework  forms  a 
background  and  frame  for  the  picture.  Thus  the 
main  wall  space  was  divided  vertically  into  panels 


Wall  Painting,  House  of  Surgeon,  Pom- 
peii :  YouNCi  Woman  painting  a  Herm 

of  equal  or  unequal  si/.c,  in  which  latter  case  the 
narrower  panels  were  ornamented  with  painted  stat- 
ues of  graceful  figures  holding  musical  instruments 
or  flowers  and  fruit.  It  is  interesting  in  this  con- 
nection to  note  a  wall  painting  from  the  House  of 
the  Surgeon.     It  represents  a  young  woman  in  the 


330  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

act  of  painting  a  herm/  If  the  herm  were  a  color- 
less statue  the  painter  would  scarcely  be  tempted 
to  use  her  color  box  and  palette. 

The  third,  or  Ornate  Style,  is  marked  by  distinc- 
tive characteristics.  The  architectural  design  makes 
no  pretense  of  obedience  to  reality  and  launches  out 
freely  in  purely  decorative  treatment  of  arrangement, 
at  the  same  time  profusely  ornamenting  every  archi- 
tectural member  in  fanciful  and  wayward  profuse- 
ness.  The  neutral  tones  of  the  walls,  bordered  by 
black  or  white  bands,  give  a  severe  but  often  a  very 
pleasing  effect.  This  is  well  exemplified  in  the 
beautiful  House  of  Spurius  Mesor. 

In  contrast  to  this,  the  four f/i,  or  Intricate  Style, 
—  organically  related  to  the  second  rather  than  the 
third,  —  is  noted  for  its  involved  use  of  ornament 
and  its  more  brilliant  coloring.  The  ground  is 
frequently  left  white  or  light  in  tone,  against  which 
elaborate  and  complicated  structures  rise,  dividing 

1  This  reminds  one  of  a  statement  made  in  Von  Mach's  Greek  Sculp- 
ture :  its  Spirit  and  Principles,  recently  published  by  Ginn  &  Company, 
that  Mr.  Edward  Robinson  tells  the  author  that,  "  on  a  recent  visit  to  Pom- 
peii, he  studied  the  wall  paintings  with  the  view  of  ascertaining  whether 
statues  when  painted  on  walls  ever  were  painted  white  in  imitation  of  the 
natural  color  of  the  marble.  He  did  not  find  one  colorless  picture  of  a 
statue,  but  numberless  instances  of  paintings  of  colored  statues.  This 
observation,  of  course,  goes  far  to  disprove  any  possible  objections  to 
the  theory  of  color  on  statues  in  Roman  times."' 


MURAL   PAINTING 


331 


the  spaces  into  wide  panels  or  narrow  bands,  which 
are  elaborately  decorated  with  borders  of  vines, 
birds,  and  dainty  festoons. 

Not  infrequently  the  result  is  a  curious  medley  of 
varied  effects,  breaking  up  the  wall  spaces  into  dark 


Third,  or  Ornate  Style,  Pompeii 

and  light  spots,  which  are  filled  with  figures  flying, 
dancing,  running,  or  poised  in  a  lively,  irrespon- 
sible fashion.  The  effect  is  sometimes  pleasing,  but 
the  lack  of  unity  and  the  complication  of  motives 
and  forms  often  distract  and  wearv  the  eve.  Here 
and   there   are   dainty  little   bits   of   landscape   and 


33- 


THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


figure  composition  in  the  smaller  panels  that  well 
reward  study.  The  quantity  of  this  style  of  work  is 
surprising,  considering  the  fact  that  most  of  it  was 
done  between   the   earthquake  of   a.u,  63    and   the 

disastrous  erup- 
tion of  A.D.  79. 

Since  now  we 
are  concerned 
primarily  with 
mural  decora- 
tion in  its  rela- 
tion to  Greek 
precedent,  it  is 
to  the  houses  of 
the  Tragic  Poet 
and  the  Vettii 
that  we  must  go 
to  see  the  finest 
examples  of  the 
painter's  skill  in 
this  direction. 
The  House 
of  the  Tragic  Poet  has  a  peculiar  interest  to  us,  since 
Bulwer  Lytton  chooses  it  for  the  home  of  Glaucus 
in  the  Last  Days  of   Pompeii.     It  belongs  to  the 


yExEAs  Wounded,  Natioxal  Museum, 
Naples 


MURAL  PAINTING  333 

period  Immediately  preceding  the  destruction  of  the 
city,  and  though  not  large  is  unusually  attractive. 

Mosaic  forms  an  important  feature  of  decoration 
and  is  well  preserved  in  the  various  floors.  Directly 
behind  the  outer  door  is  the  sturdy  figure  of  a  dog  ^ ; 
other  floors  are  worked  out  in  simple  but  effective 
patterns  of  black  and  white. 

The  paintings  in  this  house  are  peculiarly  fine. 
In  the  large  dining  room  are  decorations  on  the 
side  walls,  the  large  panels  representing  T\\o  Fig- 
ures looking  at  a  Nest  of  Cupids,  Theseus  about  to 
sail  away  from  the  lovely  Ariadne,  and  an  Artemis. 
The  smaller  panels  are  decorated  with  graceful 
figures  hovering  in  the  air,  symbolizing  the  seasons, 
or  youthful  warriors  with  helmet,  shield,  or  spear,  all 
rendered  with  charming  delicacy. 

But  it  is  in  the  atrium,  which  in  most  Pompeian 
houses  lacked  decoration,  that  we  find  the  richest 
wall  paintings,  which  are  especially  interesting  to 
us  since  they  depict  scenes  from  the  Trojan  \\\ar. 
There  is  much  skill  shown  in  the  arrangement,  by 
which  the  decorative  framework  serves  to  bring 
them  all  into  harmonious  unity;  historic  sequence  is 
not  attempted.     The  subjects  are:   The  Nuptials  of 

1  For  illustration  see  page  261. 


334 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Zeus  and  Hera,  The  Judgment  of  Paris,  The  Dehv- 
ery  of  Briseis  to  the  Messenger  of  Agamemnon, 
The  Departure  of  Chryseis,  and  probably,  although  it 


The  Judgment  of   Paris 


is  sadly  marred,  Thetis  bringing  Arms  to  Achilles; 
another  is  too  much  injured  for  recognition.  Of 
the  former  subjects.  The  Nuptials  of  Zeus  and  Hera, 
and   The  Departure    of    Briseis,  which   have   been 


MURAL  PAINTING 


-1  t  r 

30D 


removed  to  the  Naples  Museum,  are  among  the  best 
known  of  Pompeian  frescoes. 

The  latter  is  admirably  conceived.    In   the  fore- 
ground   Patroklos    leads  forward    Briseis    weeping. 


Achilles  senuing  away  Brlseis 

Achilles,  seated,  stretches  forth  his  right  hand  as  if 
addressing  Patroklos.  At  the  left  stands  the  mes- 
senger   of   Agamemnon   waiting  to  take  her  away. 


33^ 


THE  GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Behind   are   helmeted    warriors    and    the    tent   of 
Achilles.    Without  doubt  this  is  the  copy  of  some 


■  l^^^^^'' 


Fasiphae  and  Daidalos,  House  of  the 
Vettii,  Pompeii 

famous  original  by  a  Greek  artist,  which  may  date 
back  as  early  as  the  fourth  century  before  Christ. 


MURAL  PAINTING  337 

In  this  house  was  found  also  The  Sacrifice  of 
Iphigeneia.^  Phny  writes:  "  Timanthes  was  a  painter 
above  all  curious  in  invention,  for  by  him  is  that 
Iphigeneia,  praised  by  the  orators,  whom  he  depicts 
standing  by  the  altar  ready  for  death.  Having 
represented  all  the  onlookers,  and  especially  her 
father's  brother,  as  plunged  in  grief,  and  having 
thus  exhausted  every  presentment  of  despair,  he 
has  veiled  the  face  of  her  father,  for  which  he  had 
reserved  no  adequate  expression.  He  is  the  only 
artist  whose  works  always  suggest  more  than  is  in 
the  picture,  and  great  as  is  his  dexterity,  his  power 
of  invention  yet  exceeds  it." 

Our  Pompeian  picture  differs  in  detail  from  this 
description.  Here  Iphigeneia  does  not  stand  by  the 
altar  but  is  carried  —  very  awkwardly,  we  must  admit 
—  by  the  two  men;  but  we  have  the  face  of  Kalchas 
filled  with  deep  gloom  and  the  figure  of  Agamem- 
non shrouded  in  his  mantle,  as  in  Pliny's  descrip- 
tion of  Timanthes'  picture.  In  the  sky  are  the  figure 
of  Artemis,  and  the  nymph  bringing  a  deer,  which 
the  goddess  accepts  as  a  substitute  for  the  maiden. 

Of  all  discoveries  the  House  of  the  Vettii,  exca- 
vated  in    1894-95,   is   perhaps   the   best,  since   the 

1  For  illustration  see  page  121. 


338  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

paintings,  which  are  the  most  remarkable  yet  dis- 
covered, have  been  allowed  to  remain  in  place  as 
they  were  found.  It  is  impossible  in  the  limits  of 
this  chapter  to  enumerate  them  all,  much  less  de- 
scribe them.  The  subjects  of  the  mural  panels, 
found  remarkably  well  preserved  in  the  various 
rooms,  are  chiefly  mythological :  Ariadne  aban- 
doned, Hero  and  Leander,  Cupid  and  Pan  wrestling, 
Achilles  in  Skyros,  The  Infant  Herakles  strangling 
the  Serpents,  The  Death  of  Pentheus,  Daidalos 
and  Pasiphae,  Hephaistos  binding  Ixion  to  the 
Wheel  in  Hades,  Dirke  and  the  Bull,  Iris  announ- 
cing to  Hera  the  Punishment,  Dionysos  finding 
Ariadne. 

"  The  large  room  to  the  right  of  the  peristyle  is 
the  finest  of  all  in  point  of  ornamentation.  On  the 
black  band  above  the  dado  are  groups  of  cupids : 
Cupids  throwing  stones  at  a  target,  weaving  and 
selling  garlands,  manufacturing  and  selling  oil,  pour- 
ing wine,  in  chariot  races,  as  goldsmiths  and  fullers ; 
beneath  the  narrow  wall  panels  are  similar  bands,  on 
some  of  which  appear  Psyches  gathering  flowers. 
There  are  also  three  mythological  scenes :  Agamem- 
non entering  the  Shrine  of  Artemis  in  order  to  kill 
the  Sacred  Hind;  Apollo  after  slaying  the  Python; 


MLRAl,    PAINTING 


Orestes  and  Pyladcs  in  Tauris,  in  the  presence  of 
Thoas  and  Iphigeneia/  whc  is  now  priestess  of 
Artemis.  The  red  wall  panels  are  occupied  by  hov- 
ering groups :   Poseidon  and  Amymone,  Apollo  and 


Cl'I'IUs  I'uLKixo  A\im: 

Daphne,  Dionysos  and  Ariadne,  Perseus  and  An- 
dromeda." 

The  painters  of  these  decorations  were  craftsmen. 
Not  one  painter  in  Pompeii  nor  at  Rome,  with  one 
exception,  has  signed  his  name  to  his  work.  They 
were  skillful   decorators,  who  painted  according  to 

1  It  is  interesting  in  this  connection  to  note  an  article  by  Mr.  Talfourd 
Illy  in  The  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  Vol.  XVI.  p.  145,  called  Pompeian 
Paintings  and  their  Relation  to  Hellenic  Masterpieces,  with  .special  refer- 
ence to  recent  discoveries. 


340 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Greek  precedent  and  tradition.  They  may  have 
been  Greeks  in  the  employ  of  wealthy  Romans,  or 
they  may  have  been  Romans  who  copied  famous 
Greek   paintings.     We    can   probably   never    know 


'■■■  ••«%    ■■■:    '.. 

■  ;.  \^a»4 

^€^'  '^    . 

\<^.>,.-. 

i^       V    .,-ffifi,  .    -  . 

■    ■  ■  ^:  ■ 

Cupid  riding  on  a  Crah 

these  facts ;  w^e  do  know,  however,  that  there  is 
great  variety  in  the  quality  of  the  work,  and  that 
although  some  of  it  is  coarse  and  inferior  in  con- 
ception and  technique,  some  of  it  is  wonderfully 
pleasing  both  in  color  and  design. 


MURAL  PAINTING 


341 


It  was  a  decadent  age  and  the  mural  painter 
could  not  touch  a  plane  out  of  keeping  with  the 
standards    of    his    time.     We    must   remember  too 


B 

s 

j 

w 

Ik^^flH 

^t* 

Wfryf^ 

fij 

B 

^P 

3 

DaNXING    F1GUKI-,    I'uMl'Iill 


that,  in  the  glaring  light  of  brilliant  sunshine  which 
pours  down  pitilessly  upon  the  excavated  unroofed 
house,   we    can    get    but    slight    idea    of    the    dim, 


342  THE   CiREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 

subdued  light  in  which  these  colors  were  intended 
originally  to  be  seen. 

The  rich  red  or  black  panels  threw  into  charm- 
ing relief  the  floating  figures  in  their  filmy  draperies, 
or  the  more  dignified  and  stately  compositions  which 
tell  of  the  myths  of  gods  and  goddesses  and  their 
interest  in  the  affairs  of  men,  or  the  tales  of  heroes, 
recording  their  adventures ;  but  perhaps  most  inter- 
esting of  all  are  the  glimpses  which  we  get  of  the 
everyday  life  of  the  people. 

In  regard  to  color,  we  must  certainly  give  high 
praise  to  these  skillful  decorators.  Their  problem 
was  not  an  easy  one.  To  produce  an  harmonious 
unity  out  of  quite  diverse  elements  requires  skill  of 
a  high  order.  Yet  the  results  in  the  finest  period 
are  almost  without  exception  agreeable;  many  are 
more  than  agreeable,  even  distinguished, — so  distin- 
guished in  fact  that  modern  decorators  still  go  back 
to  Pompeii  for  rich  and  daring  color  combinations. 
If  the  ground  were  white  or  black,  strong  colors 
could  be  used  in  the  decoration ;  a  colored  ground 
required  more  careful  use  of  colors,  and  it  is  quite 
surprising  to  note  how  effective  were  the  tone 
and  key  in  such  pictures  where  inharmony  could 
easily  have   resulted    in    less   skilled    hands.      The 


MURAL   PAINTING 


343 


backgrounds  were  kept  very  simple,  and  each  de- 
tail was  carefully  related  to  the  general  effect. 

That  landscape 
was  never  made 
an'  end  in   itself 
and   was  always 
well   subordinat- 
ed to  the  figure 
or    architectural 
composition  may 
be  easily  proved. 
One  writer  says: 
"  Even  in    Pom- 
peian    paintings, 
which   represent 
painting  in  its 
most    advanced 
stages  in  antiq- 
uity, sky  and  sea 
are  represented 
very    si  m p  1  y. 
Rocks  and  rivers  are   depicted  without  any  sense 
of  their  true  forms.    Aerial  effects  and  such  objects 
as   distant   hills,    waves   of    the    sea   or   clouds,   are 
seldom  attempted.    In  Pompeian  i)aintings,  instead 


UKCORATivii   FuiLKK,   P(niri;ii 


344  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

of  painting  a  spring,  the  artists  would  paint  a  river- 
god  leaning  on  his  pitcher;  instead  of  painting  a 
mountain,  they  would  depict  quite  a  wooden  rock, 
with  a  goat  leaping  on  it  or  a  mountain  deity  seated 
on  it  in  guise  of  a  hunter.  They  naturally  thought 
of  the  features  of  nature  as  appearing  in  human 
shape,  rather  than  in  their  own  material  forms,  and 
preferred  to  interpret  them  through  human  embodi- 
ments rather  than  directly." 

Landscape,  the  background  of  the  picture,  was 
managed  with  conventional  breadth  and  sometimes 
is  suggestive  of  Japanese  simplicity  of  style.  The 
beautiful  white  or  creamy  tone  of  villas,  country 
houses,  and  garden  arbors,  such  as  one  sees  now 
in  and  about  Naples  on  the  shores  of  that  blue  sea, 
appear  in  especial  charm,  sometimes  as  backgrounds 
of  mythological  scenes  or  again  as  accompaniments 
of  festal  celebrations  in  which  many  figures  live  and 
move  in  the  same  happy,  gay,  pleasure-loving  way 
as  in  real  life.  It  is  a  real  glimpse  into  a  real  world, 
as  true  to-day  as  it  was  eighteen  centuries  ago.^ 

1  Mention  should  here  be  made  of  the  recent  purchase  by  the  Metro- 
politan Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  New  York,  of  seven  frescoes  from  the  villa 
of  P.  Fannius  Sinistor  at  Boscoreale.  They  represent  both  the  earlier  and 
later  styles  of  decoration,  and  are  not  inferior  in  beauty  of  coloring  to  any 
in  the  National  Museum  at  Naples.  American  Journal  of  Archaeology, 
Vol.  VIII,  1904. 


MURAL   PAINTING 


345 


In  regard  to  composition,  these  decorations  show 
a  careful  regard  to  principles  of  balance  and  sym- 
metry.   With  fine  discrimination  figures  and  land- 


lO    CONDUCTED    INTO    ECVPT 


scapes  were  so  disposed  that  they  were  held  in 
equilibrium.  They  thus  refreshed  and  satisfied  the 
eye.    In  color  the  object  was  to  produce  harmonious 


346  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

unity,  and  therefore  the  decorator's  skill  was  chiefly 
concerned  with  agreeable  disposition  of  the  various 
masses  of  light  and  dark  tones  in  concordant  hues. 
This  was  accomplished  frequently  during  the  finest 
period  with  an  amazing  degree  of  success,  and 
although  we  must  frankly  recognize  the  fact  that 
even  the  best  of  these  are  in  no  sense  great  paint- 
ings, that  in  the  main  they  are  certainly  inferior 
to  the  best  Roman  work,  and  that  from  them  we 
can  form  but  slight  idea  of  what  Greek  fresco  must 
have  been  in  its  perfection  on  Greek  soil,  yet  we 
are  Compelled  to  admit  that  these  remains  are  not 
only  interesting  but  most  valuable  as  well,  forming 
a  unique  and  important  connection  between  the  art 
of  the  Greek  painter  of  old  and  that  of  modern 
times. 


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von  Wilhelm  Klein.     Wien,  1886. 
Examples  of  Greek  and  Pompeian  Decorative  Work,  by  James  C. 

Watt.     London,  1897. 
Excavations  at  Phylakopi  in  Melos,  conducted  by  the  British  School 

at  Athens.     Macmillan  and  Company,  London,  1904. 
Excursions  arch^ologiques  en  Grece  :  Mycfenes  —  Ddos  —  Athenes 

—  Olympic  —  Eleusis  —  Lpidaure  —  Dodone  —  Tirynthe  —  Tana- 

gra,  par  Ch.  Diehl.     Paris,  1890. 
Excursions  in   Greece  to  recently  explored  sites  of  classical  inter- 
est, by  Ch.  Diehl.    Translated  by  Emma  R.  Perkins.     London, 

1893. 
Famous   Art   Cities  :     Pompeii,    by   Richard    Engelmann.     London, 

1904. 
Fiihrer  durch  die  Antiken  in   Florenz,  von  W.  Amelung.     Munich, 

1897.     [V^asensammlung,  p.  197  ff.] 
Fiihrer  durch  die  offentlichen  Sammlungen  klassisclier  Alterthiimer  in 

Rom,  von  W.  Helbig.     2d  ed.,  1899. 
Grecian  Architecture  and  Ornament,  including  tlie  principal   I'om- 

peian  subjects  of  recent  discovery,  by  eminent  French  artists. 

George  Policy,  Boston  and  New  York. 
Greek  Art  on  Greek  Soil,  by  James  IVLison  Hoppin.     Boston,  1897. 
Greek  Vase  Paintings,   by  Jane  E.  Harrison   and   D.   S.   MacColl. 

London,  1894. 


350  THE   GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Greek  Vase  Paintings  :  a  selection  of  examples  with  preface,  intro- 
duction, and  description,  by  Jane  E.  Harrison.      LcHidon,  1894. 
Griechische   Keramik.     Tafeln  :  ausgewahlt  und   aufgenommen  von 

A.    Genick    mit    Einleitung    und    Beschreibung    von    A.    Furt- 

wangler.     Berlin,   1883.     40  plates. 
Griechische  Kunstgeschichte,  von  Heinrich  Brunn.    Vols.  I  and  II, 

Munich,  1893. 
Handbook  of  Greek  Archaeology,  by  A.  S.  Murray.     London  and 

New  York,  1892. 
Hermes  mit  dem  Dionysos-knaben  :   ein  originalwerk  des  Praxiteles 

gefunden    im    heraion   zu    Olympia,   von    Georg   True.     Berlin, 

1878. 
History  of  Ancient    Art    among   the    Greeks,    by   Johann    Joachim 

Winckelmann.       Translated    by    G.    Henry    Lodge.      London, 

1850. 
History  of   Art  in   Primitive    Greece  :   Mykenaean   art,   by  Georges 

Perrot  and  Charles  Chipiez.     London,  1894. 
History  of  Painting  by  Dr.  Alfred  Woltmann  and  Dr.  Karl  Woer- 

mann,  translated  by  Clara  Bell.     Dodd,   Mead  and  Company, 

New  York,  1888. 
Journey  to  the  Sepulchres  of  Etruria,  by  Lady  Hamilton  Gray. 
La  Collection  Sabouroff :   Monuments  de  I'art  grec,  par  A.  Furtwang- 

ler.      Berlin,   1883-1887. 
L'Art  Etrusque,  par  Jules  Martha.     Paris,  1889. 
Les  Ceramiques  de  la  Grece   propre  :    I'histoire  de  la  peinture  des 

vases  grecs  depuis  les  origines  jusqu'au  V  siecle   avant  Jesus- 
Christ,  par  A.  Dumont  et  J.  Chaplain.     Paris,  1 888-1 890. 
Les  Fresques  de  Boscoreale.     See  article  in  Gazette  des  Beaux-Arts. 

Paris,  1 90 1. 
Lessons  from  Greek  Pottery,  to  which  is  added  a  bibliography  of 

Greek  ceramics,  by  John  Homer  Huddilston.    The  Macmillan 

Company,  New  York,  1902. 
Manual  of  Greek  Antiquities  :  Books  1-5  by  Percy  Gardner;  Books 

6-9  by  Frank  Byron. 
Manual  of  Greek  Archaeology,  by  Max.  CoUignon.     Translated  by  J. 

H.  Wright.     New  York,  1886.     36  illustrations. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  35 1 

Meisterwerke  der  griechischen  Plastik,  p.  149  ff.,  von  A.  Furtwiingler. 

[English  translation  by  E.  Sellers,  p.  io8ff.] 
Mythology  and  Monuments  of  Ancient  Athens,  by  Margaret  de  G. 

Verrall,  with  introductory  essay  and  archaeological  commentary 

by   Jane    E.    Harrison.      Macmillan    and    Company,    London, 

1890. 
Myths  of  the  Odyssey  in  art  and  literature,  by  Jane  E.   Harrison. 

London,  1881. 
New  Chapters  in  Greek  History:  historical  results  of  recent  excava- 
tions in  Greece  and  Asia  Minor,  by  Percy  Gardner.    London, 

1892. 
On  the  Track  of  Ulysses,  together  with  an  excursion  in  quest  of  the 

so-called  Venus  of  Melos,  by  W.  J.  Stillman.     Boston,  1888. 
Pausanias'  Description  of  Greece.    Translated  with  commentary  by 

J.  G.  Frazer.     6  vols.,  1898. 
Pompei  :  la  ville,  les  moeurs,  les  arts,  par  Pierre  Gusman ;   preface 

de  Max.  Collignon.     Paris,  1899. 
Pompeii  :  its  life  and  art,  by  August  Mau,  translated  by  Francis  W. 

Kelsey.     New  York,  1899. 
Principles  of  Athenian  Architecture,  by  Francis  Cranmer  Penrose, 

M.A.,  F.R.A.S.      London. 
Scliliemann's  Excavations  :  an   archaeological  and   historical  study, 

by   Carl    Schuchhardt.     Translated  from   the   German   with   an 

appendix  on  recent  discoveries  at  Hissarlik.      London,  1891. 
Smith's  Dictionary  of  Greek  and  Roman  Antiquities. 
SoUen    wir    unsere    Statuen    vermalen?    von    Georg    True.      Berlin, 

1884. 
The  Elder  Pliny's  Chapters  on  the  History  of  Art.    Translated  by  K. 

Jex-Blake,  with   commentary  and  historical  introduction  by  E. 

Sellers.     Macmillan  and  Company,    London;    The    Macmillan 

Company,  New  York,    1896. 
The  Pompeia  —  a  reproduction  of  the  house  of  Pansa  at  Pompeii  — 

at  Saratoga  Springs,  U.S.A.     Franklin  \Vebster,  1890. 
The  Temple  of  Jupiter   Panhellenius  at  ^gina,  and  of  Apollo  Epi- 
curus at  Bassas  near  Phigaleia  in  Arcadia.     London,  i860. 
Tiryns,  by  Dr.  Henry  Schliemann.     London,  1886. 


352  THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 

Trinkschalen  und  Gefasse  des  koniglichen  museums  zu  Berlin  und 

anderer  sammlungen,  von  Eduard  Gerhard.     Berlin,  1848-1850. 

2  vols.,  40  plates. 
Une    Necropole   Royale    a   Sidon,   par   O.  Hamdy-Bey  et  Theodore 

Reinach.     Paris,   1892. 
Vacation  Days  in  Greece,  by  R.  B.  Richardson.     Charles  Scribners' 

Sons,  New  York,  1904. 
Vases  grecs  relatifs  aux  mysteres,  par  Eduard  Gerhard.     Stuttgart, 

1839. 
White   Athenian  Vases  in   the   British   Museum,   by  A.   S.    Murray, 

LL.D.,  F.S.A.,  and  A.  H.  Smith,  M.A.,  F.S.A.     London,  1896. 


INDEX 


Acheloos,  86. 

Achilles,  119,  122,  150,  151,  156, 

159,  237,  30I'  334,  335,  336, 

338. 
Admetos,  295. 
^gina,   36,    75,   76,   77,    78,    79, 

184,  185,  203,  228. 
^neas,  i  58. 
j^schylos,  84,  114,  I  So. 
Action,  133. 
.^tolia,  286. 
Agamemnon,   44,    122,  301,  334, 

335,  337,  33'"^- 

Agatharchos,  114,  115,  268. 

Aigisthos,  170. 

Ajax,  117,  119,  122,  237. 

Akademe,  87,  91. 

Akro-Corinth,  32,  35. 

Akropolis,  36,  S7,  5'*^,  ^>o,  63,  65, 
66,  80,  83,  84,  107,  109,  178, 
204,  217,  222,  231,  267,  276. 

Akropolis  Museum,  65. 

Albani,  villa,  306. 

Albanian,  6,  8,  32. 

Aldobrandini,  306,  307,  317. 

Alexander,  125,  126,  127,  129, 
130,  133,  176,  208,  209,  210, 
211,  213,   214,   215,  262,  304, 

314- 


Alexander  of  Athens,  321. 

Alexandria,  133,  328. 

Alkestis,  295. 

Alkibiades,  1 10,  114. 

Alkinoos,  40,  42,  48,  272. 

Alkisthenes,  135. 

Alpheios,  15,  16,  17,  18,  25,  94. 

Altis,  18,  23. 

Amazon,  54,  107. 

Amenhotep  III,  152. 

American  Journal  of  Archae- 
ology, 344. 

American  School  at  Athens,  75. 

Amphitrite,  238. 

Amymone,  339. 

Anchises,  i  58,  220. 

Andokides,  i  78. 

Andromeda,  339. 

Annual  of  British  School  at 
Athens,  279. 

Antenor,  231. 

Antike  Denkmaler,  232. 

Antiphilos,  133. 

Antonines,  311. 

Apelles,  123,  129,  130,  132,  133, 
212,  302. 

Aphrodite,  97,  130,  181,  220,  23S. 

Apollo,  19,  28,  29,  30,  32,  50, 
125,  142,  145,  338,  339. 


353 


354 


THE   GREEK  PAINTERS'  ART 


Apollo,  Temple  of,  286. 

Apollodoros,  106,  116,  118. 

Appia  (via)  306, 

Apulia,  176. 

Archaeological  Museum,  Flor- 
ence, 163,  301. 

Archgeological  Society  at  Athens, 
44,  lOI. 

Areopagos,  63,  84,  85, 

Arethusa,  15,  16,  94. 

Argos,  314. 

Ariadne,  125,  279,  333,  338. 

Aristeides,  125,  126,  212. 

Aristoboulos,  136. 

Aristokles,  69. 

Ariston,  125. 

Aristophanes,  26,  87,  99,  119. 

Aristotle,  104,  113,  133. 

Artemis,  125,  134,  142,  333,  337, 
338. 

Artemis,  Temple  of,  130. 

Asklepiades,  250. 

Asklepiodoros,  133. 

Asklepios,  50,  51,  52,  53,  54. 

Assyrio-Babylonian,  157. 

Athena,  43,  44,  S5,  56,  59'  60, 
65,  79,  86,  142,  145,  146,  165, 
185,  232. 

Athenaros,  120. 

Athens,  27,  36,  48,  56,  57,  58,  72, 

73,  74,  75,  76,  79,  8o>  §3.  84, 
87,  88,  91,  100,  102,  117,  118, 

124,  126,  145,   151,  154,  157, 

161,  167,   168,  172,  177,  184, 

187,  194,   195,  205,  222,  234, 
237.  238,  243,  267. 


Atlas,  143,  236. 

Atreus,  43,  44,  45. 

Attalos,  III,  250. 

Attic,    154,    161,    163,    172,    180, 

181,  196,  224,  228. 
Augeias,  191. 
Augustus,  132,  137,  304,  311.  ■ 

Barone,  Grotta  del,  292,  323. 

Berlin,  177. 

Bey,  O.  Hamdy,  208. 

Bighe,  Grotta  delle,  292. 

Black-Figured    ware,    163,    164, 

179. 
Boeotia,  Boeotian,  156,  159,  241, 

243,  245. 
Bosanquet,  R.  C,  257,  286. 
Boscoreale,  344. 
Boston,  167. 
Botticelli,  130,  131,  132. 
Briseis,  150,  151,  334,  335. 
British    Archaeological    School, 

75- 
British  Museum,  70. 
Brygos,  143,  149,  151,  160. 

Caere,  290. 
Calumny,  1 30,  131. 
Cambridge,  177. 
Campania,  168. 
Campanian,  177,  317,  323. 
Capitoline  Museum,  260. 
Capua,  177. 
Catiline,  314. 
Cesnola,  178. 
Chryseis,  334. 


INDEX 


355 


Chiusi,  290,  291. 
CoUignon,  Maxime,  189. 
Constantine,  306. 
Conze,  Alexander,  92. 
Corfu,  7,  9. 


Dipylon  ware,  70,  140,  151,  154, 

155,  156. 
Doric,  34,  55,  80,  184,  186,   187, 

193,  196,  197,  202,  228. 
Dorpfeld,  17,  40,  48. 


Corinth,  27,  32,  34,  38,   56,  80,       Diimmler,  167. 


124,  126,  159,  160,  287. 
Corinth,  Temple  of,  33. 
Corneto,  290,  291,  299,  303. 
Crete,  Cretan,  145,  154,  192,  243, 

274,  284,  285. 
Cumae,  177. 
Cupbearer,  275. 

Cyclops,  Cyclopean,  39,44,  46, 47. 
Cyprus,  151,  152,  157,  158,  178, 

243- 
Cyrene,  161. 

Daidalos,  226,  279,  336,  338. 

Daphne,  145,  339. 

Daphni,  pass  of,  89,  90,  97. 

Darius,  126,  210,  262. 

Delos,  229,  239,  328. 

Delphi,  Delphic,  29,  30,  31,  in, 

145,  224. 
Demeter,  92,  93,  94,  95,  96,  241, 

242. 
Demos,  1 19,  126. 
Dennis,  George,  272. 
Dexileos,  92. 
Didymi,  187. 

Diehl,  Ch.,  223,  232,  244,  272. 
Dionysios,  106,  136. 
Dionysos,   31,  92,  125,   166,  238, 

338,  339- 
Dipylon  Gate,  91,  92,  154. 


Diirer,  127,  130. 
Duris,  143,  146. 

Ebers,  253. 

Egypt,  Egyptian,  151,  161,  246, 

247,  251,  253,  272,  278,  345. 
Eirene,  134. 
Ekphantos,  105. 
Eleusinian  Mysteries,  96,  99. 
Eleusinian  relief,  95. 
Eleusis,  91,  98,  99,  100,  134,  243. 
Elis,  235,  236. 
Elysian,  28. 
Elysium,  296,  303. 
Eos,  160. 

Ephesus,  118,  119,  130,  134,  187. 
Epictetos,  166. 
Epidaurian  Theater,  55. 
Epidauros,  50,  51,  55. 
Erechtheion,  60,  61,  187. 
Eretria,  172. 
Ergotimos,  163. 
Eros,  124,  23S, 
Esquiline,  152,  308. 
Etruria,  290,  291,  304. 
Etruscan,  1 13,  162,  290,  292,  294, 

29s.  297>  301.  302,  303,  323. 
Eumaros,  105. 
Euphranor,  126,  127. 
Euphronios,   143,  166,   170,   178. 


356 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


Eupompos,  123. 

Euripides,  180. 

Eurydike,  167,  306. 

Evans,  A.  J.,  78,  274,  278,  284. 

Fabius,  137. 
Farnesina  Palace,  316. 
Faun,  House  of,  261,  262. 
Fayum,  246,  247,  251,  253,  256. 
Figurine,  172,  241,  244. 
Flying  Fish,  280,  281,  284. 
Francois  vase,  162,  163,  228. 

Galateia,  3  15. 

Gardner,  Ernest  A.,  196,  234. 

Gardner,  Percy,  50,  1 14,  18  r,  194, 

228,  232. 
Geometric,  Geometrical,  151,  154, 

158. 
German  Archsological     School, 

75- 
Giotto,  1 1  r. 
Gorgon,  186,  288,  289. 
Graf,  250,  252,  253. 
Gregorian  Museum,  297. 

Hades,  174,  302,  306,  338. 
Hadrian,  258. 
Halicarnassus,  187. 
Harrison,  Jane  E.,  84. 
Hebe,  86. 
Helbig,  323. 
Helen,  i  18. 
Helena,  133,  134,  264. 
Helios,  144. 
Hephaistos,  42,  338. 


Hera,  165,  238,  334,  338. 

Hera,  statue  of,  44,  142. 

Hera,   Temple   of,    24,   45,    118, 

239- 
Herakles,  44,  66,   86,   117,    120, 

142,    143,    144,    190,    191,  192, 

196,  231,  235,  236,  237,  238, 

318,338. 
Herakles,  Temple  of,  66. 
Herculaneum,  290,  317,  323. 
Hermes,  21,  22,  176,  238,  239. 
Hero,  338. 
Herodotus,  228. 
Hesperides,  237. 
Hieron,  51,  143,  178. 
Hissarlik,  151,  158. 
Hittorf,  183. 
Homer,   23,   39,  40,  43,  48,  99, 

no,  149,  237,  272. 
Homeric,  150,  153,  156,  157,  220, 

221 . 
Hoppin,  James  M.,  73,  176,  231, 

241. 
Huddilston,  John  H.,  142,  228. 
Hygiainon,  105. 
Hymettos,  17,  36,  63,  89. 

laia,  135. 

Iktinos,  100. 

Iliad,  150,  237. 

Ilissos,  86. 

lo,  127,314,  315,  345. 

Ionia,  Ionic,  186,  187,228. 

Iphigeneia,  121,318,  337,  339. 

Iris,  338. 

Isis,  251. 


INDEX 


357 


Issos,  134,  135,  262,  264. 
Ithaka,  13,  14. 
Ixion,  338. 

Jahrbuch  des  Kaiserlich  Deut- 
schen  Archaologischen  Insti- 
tuts,  270. 

Kalamis,  226. 

Kalchas,  122,  337. 

Kalypso,  134. 

Kephallenia,  15. 

Kephisos,  87,  88,  92. 

Kerberos,  83. 

Kerkyra,  7. 

Kimon,  86,  290. 

Kimon  of  Kleonai,  106,  107. 

Kirke,  310. 

Kladeos,  18,  23,  25. 

Klitias,  163. 

Kleanthes,  105. 

Klearchos,  120. 

Klytaimnestra,  45,  84. 

Knossos,  268,  273,  274,  275,  276, 

279,  284. 
Kolonos,  87. 
Kratinos,  134. 
Kronos,  24. 
Kyzikos,  135. 

Lateran,  306. 

Latina,  via,    311. 

Leander,  338. 

Lekytlioi,  thos,  171,  172,  173. 

Lion,  233. 

Lion  Gate,  45,  46. 


Lion  Hunt,  209,  215. 

Livia,     House     of,      314,     317, 

327. 
Livia,   Villa    of,   311,   312,    313, 

317- 
Lokris,  243. 
London,  177. 
Louvre,  218. 

Lucian,  104,  130,  133,  226. 
Ludius.  137,  313. 
Lykabettos,  36,  63,  83,  85. 
Lysippos,  129. 

Mackenzie,  279. 

Mantineia,  126. 

Marathon,  89,  106,  237,  267. 

Mars'  Hill,  84. 

Maspero,  251. 

Mau,  326,  328. 

Medea,  318. 

Megara,  82,  243. 

Melanthios,  133. 

Melos,  157,  279. 

Memnon,  i  79. 

Menelaos,  43,  122. 

Menidi,  69,  271,  297. 

Metropolitan     Museum,     New 

York,  177. 
Mikon,  109,  I  10,  134. 
Minoan,  277,  282. 
Minotaur,  320. 
Mnemosyne,  241. 
Munich,  79,  177. 
Murray,  A.  S.,  T54. 
Museum   of    Fine   Arts,    Boston, 

167,  178,  252. 


358 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


Mykens,  43,  44,  45,  48,  69,  151, 
1 53, 268, 269, 270, 27 1 ,275, 280. 

Mykenaean,  70,  151,  153,  158, 
274,  275,  276,  277,  278,  280. 

Myrina,  241,  243,  245. 

Mysteries,  Eleusinian,  100,  102. 

Naples,  I,  3,  135,  177,  290,  318, 

320,  344- 
Naples  Museum,   134,   177,  220, 

262,265,290,318,321,322,335. 
National  Archaeological  Museum, 

Athens,  61,  91,  172. 
National    Museum,    Athens,   48, 

54,  241. 
Naukratis,  161. 
Nauplia,  38,  50,  69. 
Nausikaa,  10,  1 10. 
Nemea,  Nemean,  127,  142,  143, 

236. 
Neoptolemos,  159. 
Neptune,  Temple  of,  184. 
Nero,  305,  314. 
Nike,  67,  68. 
Nike  Apteros,  66,  67,  68. 
Nikias,  126,  127,  314. 
Nikomachos,  125. 
Nikophanes,  136. 
Nile  mosaic,  264,  265. 
Niobe,  321. 
Nola,  168,  177, 
Nymphs,  240. 

Odysseus,  10,  14,  40,  48,  no, 
III,  112,  115,  119,  122,  125, 
148,  150,  151,  302,  308,  318. 


Odyssey,  40,  43,  48,  62,  63,  126, 
267,  305,  308,  309,  317. 

Oinomaos,  237. 

Olympia,  ic,  14,  17,  18,  19,  20, 
25,  27,  119,  168,  189,  190,  193, 
234,  236,  238,  257. 

Olympias,  136. 

Onatas,  in. 

Orchomenos,  269,  270. 

Oreo,  Tomba  dell',  302,  303. 

Orestes,  84,  339. 

Orpheus,  167,  i6g,  306. 

Orvieto,  290,  296. 

Ostia,  306. 

Oxford,  177 

Passtum,  184,  185,  197,290,  317, 

322. 
Painted  Gallery,  109,  267. 
Palamidi,  38. 
Palatine,  314,  316,  328. 
Palestrina,  264,  265. 
Pamphili,  villa,  311. 
Pamphilos,  123,  129. 
Pan,  37,  338. 

Panainos,  106,  234,  236,  268. 
Panathenaic,  59,  205. 
Pantarkes,  235. 
Paris,  177,  334. 
Parnassos,  28,  31. 
Parrhasios,    117,    118,    119,    120, 

121,  122. 
Parthenon,   36,    60,  62,    64,    65, 

()6,    100,    146,    197,    199,    201, 

206,  308. 
Pasiphae,  336,  338. 


INDEX 


159 


Patras,  i,  13,  27. 

Patroklos,  150,  335. 

Paul,  34,  56,  84. 

Pausanias,  25,   30,  47,   55,    104, 

107,   109,   III,    124,    126,  205, 

226,  237,  238,  267. 
Pausias,  123,  124,  125. 
Pegasos,  37. 
Peiraikos,  136. 
Peisistratos,  184. 
Peleus,  163. 
Penelope,  118. 
Penrose,  Francis  Cranmer,  205, 

208. 
Pentelic,  64,  88,  201,  202. 
Pentelikon,  36,  63,  88,  89. 
Penthesileia,  237. 
Pergamos,  257,  258. 
Perikles,  i  70. 
Perithoos,  236. 
Perseia,  45. 
Persephone,  93,  95,  125,  241,  302, 

306. 
Perseus,  44,  in,  288,  289,  339. 
Phaistos,  274,  285. 
Pheidias,  44,   106,  113,  143,  234, 

235»  238. 
Philip,  129,  130. 
Philis,  218,  219. 
Philokles,  105. 
Philoxenor,  126. 
Phoenicia,  272. 
Phylakopi,    268,    275,    279,    280, 

281,  283,  284,  285. 
Phyle,  89. 
Pindar,  180. 


Piraeus,  55. 

Pirene,  37. 

Plato,  56,  73,  86,  87,  99. 

Pliny,  30,  104,  105,  117,  118, 
119,  121,  125,  126,  127,  129, 
132,    134,    137,   202,   249,   257, 

314,  321,  337- 
Plutarch,  104,  202. 
Pluto,    302. 
Polygnotos,   30,    106,    109,    no, 

ni,   112,    113,   114,   120,   167, 

267,  310. 
Polykleitos,  44,  51,  55. 
Polyphemos,    148,   150,  301,302, 

315- 
Polyxena,  113. 

Pompeian,    122,    260,    318,    325, 

333>  335,  337,  343- 
Pompeii,  127,  134,  220,  254,  255, 
256,   259,   260,  261,  263,  290, 
318,  319,  321,  323,  324,  326, 
327,  328,  329,  331,  332,  336, 

339,  342- 
Porta  del  Popolo,  3  n . 
Portico,  109,  237,  267. 
Poseidon,  142,  146,  238,  339. 
Praxiteles,  21,  238,  239. 
Priene,  187,  328. 
Prima  Parta,  137. 
Proculus,  254,  256. 
Proitos,  47. 
Prometheus,  237. 
Propylaia,    59,  61,  64,  (yj,   108, 

205,  267. 
Propylaia  of  Eleusis,  100,  10 1. 
Protogenes,  132,  133,  134. 


36o 


THE  GREEK   PAINTERS'  ART 


Ptolemies,  254,  255. 
Pylades,  339. 
Pyrgos,  15. 

Querciola,  Grotta  della,  297. 
Questioner  of  the  Dead,  127. 
Quintilian,  104. 

Raphael,  132,  305. 

Red-Figured  ware,  165,  166,  168, 
179. 

Rhodes,  133,  151,  152,  154,  157. 

Robinson,  Edward,  222,  330. 

Roman,  103,  104,  127,  137,  153, 
303»  304,  316,  321,  323,  324, 
326,  328,  340. 

Rome,  I,  2,  125,  127,  132.  135, 
137,  152,  177,  258,  260,  264, 
265,  290,  291,  299,  303,  305, 
306,  308,  310,  311,  312,  313, 

314,  315,  339- 
Rospigliosi,  306. 
Roxane,  133. 
Rubaijat,  246. 
Rubens,  215. 

Sacred  Way,  97,  100. 

Salamis,  55,  82,  98,  230,  236. 

Sallust,  House  of,  338. 

Samos,  133. 

Santorin,  151. 

Sappho.  255. 

Sarcophagus,  208,  209,  211,  213, 

301. 
Saronic    Gulf,    36,    55,    63,    80, 

«3- 


Schliemann,  40,  43,  47,  153,  257, 

271. 
Schrader,  232. 
Scylla,  125. 
Selene,  238. 
Shelley,  96. 

Sicily,  16,  160,  184,  198. 
Sidon,  208,  217. 

Sikyon,  Sikyonian,  123,  124,  129. 
Silenos,  26. 
Skythes,  178. 
Sophokles,  Sy,  99,   1 14. 
Sosandra,  226. 
Sosos,  258. 

Spurius  Mesor,  House  of,  330. 
Studios,  1 36. 
Sunion,  81,  82. 
Sunion,  Temple  of,  81. 
Surgeon,  House  of,  329. 

Tanagra,  89,  159,  172,  224,  241, 

242,  243,  245. 
Tarquinia,  291,  295,  298,  323. 
Tatoi,  88. 
Tauris,  339. 
Tegea,  243. 
Thanatos,  174. 
The  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies, 

78,  84,  114,  154,  163,  171,  257, 

271,  274,  278,  339. 
Thebes,  1 1 1,  124. 
Themistokles,  230. 
Theodores,  135. 
Theodosios,  254. 
Theokritos,  26. 
Theophrastos,  120. 


INDEX 


361 


Thera,  151,  152. 

Thermon,  268,  286,  287,  288. 

Theseus,  107,  119,  126,  196,237, 

318,  320,  333. 
Theseus,  Temple  of,  87,  107,  108, 

194,  195. 
Thetis,  163,  335. 
Thoas,  339. 

Tifone,  Grotta  del,  296. 
Timainetos,  iii,  267. 
Timanthes,  121,  122,  237. 
Timarete,  134. 
Tiryns,   38,  39,  41,  47,  69,    151, 

153,  268,  269,  270,  271,  280. 
Tithonos,  160. 
Titian,  215. 
Tivoli,  258. 

Tragic  Poet,  House  of,  232,  261. 
Trajan,  306. 
Triclinio,   Grotta  del,   297,    298, 

299. 
Triptolemos,  95,  96,  99. 
Triton,  66. 
Trojan,  30,  44,  45,  79,   109,  113, 

262,  333. 
Troy,  151,  158,  30  r. 
Typhon,  231,  232,  233. 

Ufifizi,  130. 


Vaphio,  48,  69. 

Varro,  135. 

Vatican,  305,  306,  308,  3T1. 

Veii,  290. 

Velchas,  303. 

Venus  de'  Medici,  218. 

Vespasian,  264,  324. 

Vesta,  238. 

Vestibules,  109,  iio,  111. 

Vesuvius,  3,  323. 

Vettii,  332,  336,  337. 

Victory,  125,  235. 

Vienna,  177. 

Vitruvius,  304,  306,  310. 

Votive  statue,  65,  223,  227. 

Vulci,  295. 

Walters,  H.  B.,  163. 
Woltmann  and  Woermann,  i  16. 
Wright,  John  Henry,  189. 

Zante,  15. 
Zappeion,  86. 

Zeus,    37,    51,    54,   59,    86,    117, 
118,    130,   142,    145.    165,  236, 

237,  238,  334- 
Zeus,  Temple  of,  18,   19,  24,  26, 

168,  190.  191.  192,  257. 
Zeuxis,  117,  I  iS,  120,  122. 


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